Narilka reads in 2013

Hello! Last year I participated in the 50 Book Challenge forum and made it to 37. It was also the first year I had kept a reading log or consistently written reviews. I found the whole thing a lot of fun and really enjoyed going back through my list at the end of the year. So I'm back at it again this year. I hope cross posting is ok as I don't see many Green Dragoners (Dragoneers?) in that forum and another goal of mine is to become more active with this community that I have been a lurker of for a while now. Without too much further ado...

A Little Background
I tend to read a lot of fantasy. I do read and enjoy other genres, it's just that fantasy is my favorite. I am fairly forgiving so there will probably be many 3 star books.

Here's my 2012 reading log for an idea: http://www.librarything.com/topic/129737

My Rating System
- Absolutely horrible, don't bother

- Meh, I finished the book somehow but would not recommend it

- An entertaining read

- Very good, I would probably recommend this book

- Excellent! A new favorite and one I could read again.

A half star is given for a book that falls between those categories.

Books Read in 2013
1. Magician's Gambit by David Eddings
2. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
3. Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings
4. Enchanters' End Game by David Eddings
5. The Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
6. The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson
7. Cleo by Helen Brown
8. Eric by Terry Pratchett
9. The Wild Ways by Tanya Huff
10. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams
11. Emma by Jane Austen
12. Reaper's Gale by Steven Erikson
13. Wicked Weaves by Joyce & Jim Lavene
14. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
15. America the Beautiful by Dr. Ben Carson
16. Bauchelain and Korbal Broach by Steven Erikson
17. Oink: My Life with Mini-Pigs by Matt Whyman
18. Soul Music by Terry Pratchett
19. Split Infinity by Piers Anthony
20. Inferno by Dan Brown
21. Toll the Hounds by Steven Erikson
22. A Supremely Bad Idea by Luke Dempsey
23. Night of Knives by Ian C. Esslemont
24. The Black Company by Glen Cook
25. Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams
26. Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett
27. Sheepfarmer's Daughter by Elizabeth Moon
28. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

1. Magician's Gambit by David Eddings

Note: This series is a favorite of mine from childhood that I reread every few years when life gets complicated and I could use something relaxing and familiar. I started this latest reread over Christmas.



Her Imperial Highness, Princess Ce'Nedra, jewel of the house Borune and flower of the Tolnedran Empire, was confused. Everyone knew the tale of the Orb of Aldur, a magical artifact that protected the West from the evil god Torak, was just a legend. After all, no one really believes in sorcery do they? And yet Garion's aunt and grandfather appear to be the sorcerers Polgara and Belgarath. Not only that, even Garion is beginning to do things that can only be called sorcery. But Garion is nothing more than a farm boy. Why does he fascinate her so?

Two prophecies, made thousands of years ago are approaching and the moment is nigh when only one will hold true. Garion is only now beginning to understand the part that he will play in the future of the world. Ctuchik, the Grolim High Priest, has taken the Orb from Zedar. Before the party can go after him, Belgarath is summed to the Vale of Aldur by his master to receive instructions for their quest. The journey takes them through the haunted land of Maragor, where ghosts of the slain roam, on to the Veil and through the mountains of Ulgo. It is here that Ce'Nedra must be left behind to protect her life while the others continue on to retrieve the Orb. Since she must stay behind Ce'Nedra can't be there to watch over Garion. He might be killed!

Magician's Gambit is the third book of The Belgariad. The first portion of the story is told from Ce'Nedra's point of view. It was interesting to see Garion and the party from another view point. The best part of this comes from a conversation between Ce'Nedra and Mandorallen when they discuss the various social ranks of everyone in the party.

We pick up one new party member, Relg, a religious fanatic. At first he adds a discordant note to the party, constantly pointing out the sins of others and berating himself for sins he has supposedly committed. As the story gets going, he proves how valuable his unique skills are and, if not actually becomes likable, he at least starts to fit in better.

This is my favorite book in the series. Two of my favorite parts in the series both happen in this book: the part with the colt in the cave and the end battle. It is also the only book in the series that ends in a semi-cliff hanger. Even though I've read it so many times I always find this book hard to put down.

2. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle



A unicorn, believing she is the last of her kind, sets off on a quest to discover what happened to the rest of her people. Along the way she is joined by Schmendrick the Magician, a poor excuse for a wizard on his own quest to discover his magic who becomes completely devoted to the unicorn, and Molly Grue, fiercely loyal and ever practical. Together the follow rumors of a Red Bull to King Haggard's land and the dangers that await.

The Last Unicorn is a classic fantasy tale. Beagle's use of language is absolutely beautiful and evokes emotion for me. The prose flows wonderfully, keeping the story moving along and is engaging the entire time.

There was an animated movie adaptation in the 80s that I saw as a kid and was fairly faithful to the book. As I read, I kept hearing the actors voice overs for the characters.

The story breaks my heart every time I read it. In a good way! I look forward to another reread in the future.

It has been years since I read The Belgariad, since I don't read epic fantasy any more, but I did like it. I recently found my series in a box in the basement, and passed them along to my son. He is on the second book now, and is really enjoying the story.

I read The Belgariad and The Malloreans for the first time in high school, then I reread them every year or two after. But it's been many years since my last reread. I wonder how I will like them nowadays. I definitely need to fit another reread in one of these days.

Narilka, I'm glad you are joining us! I only visit this pub on LT, so if someone doesn't post here, I don't know much about them. Will look forward to following your reading, and having you de-lurk here. ;)

I'm glad you're joining us, too! I added your thread to the group's master list of journals. :o)

any mates i can talk to

me not!

akward question

lolz hehehehehehehe

balls!

y no dont leave

Knock it off. This is a member's journal thread. Find somewhere else to chatter.

Sorry about the kids, Narilka. I left their teacher a PM asking her to tell them to stay in their own group.

I started reading the Belgariad years ago, but didn't finish it. Your thoughtful comments make me think I should have another go. I'm very much looking forward to following your reading this year! I can never find people's threads in the challenge groups, so I'm glad you started one here.

Watching also.

Thanks for catching that clamairy. No harm done.

#4 SylviaC - It's funny. Ever since I started reading The Malazan Books of the Fallen series, my perspective of epic fantasy has really shifted. The Belgariad no longer feels that epic to me, though part of that maybe my familiarity with the story. One of my favorite parts has become the banter between characters.

#5 sandragon - I worry about that too when I go back and reread things I liked when I was younger. They don't all make the transition.

#21 Sakerfalcon - The series is not for everyone. The story is heavy on fantasy tropes and not everyone likes that. The prose isn't anything fancy. It also has more of a YA feel to it, especially the first book. I promise I'm not trying to scare you off :) It is still one of my favorite comfort reads. If you do give it another try, I'll be interested to hear your thoughts.

MrsLee, clamairy, JannyWurts - Thanks for watching!

Narilka, The Belgariad was new when I first read it, so back then it was pretty epic. :)

23 - Yes! My favourite parts about the Belgariad series was the banter and camaraderie between the characters as well.

#23 Malazan does that to you, doesn't it? I love how huge the whole story is, but how it focuses so closely on small groups or tiny pieces of the whole.

>25 sandragon: Same here. I love the family and friend bickering.

It's been a long tim esince I read them, but Silk was always a favourite. The repeated plot in the sequel was a little annoying though.

3. Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings



The quest begun all those months ago at Faldor's Farm is coming to its end. The Orb of Aldur has been recovered. Now it is a matter of getting it to the island kingdom of Riva before Erastide. With Belgarath incapacitated by his fight with Ctuchik and Polgara concentrating entirely on shielding the child Errand, bearer of the Orb, leadership has been thrust upon Garion to get them to safety. As they journey across the lands, Murgo soldiers and Grolim sorcerers try to stop them. After that, however, Garion was sure that his part in these events would be over. But the evil god Torak begins to stir from his long sleep and the Prophecy has more in store for Garion than he imagines.

Castle of Wizardry is the fourth book of The Belgariad. The story picks up immediately after events in Castle of Wizardry. While a few events do happen to move the story along, this book focuses more on the characters than what we've seen previously. It is also the set up for the final book so reads more as the middle book in a series to me than the previous two. As we have less events happening, the book is a slightly slower read than those previous as well. This is also the point when Eddings has more characters than the story needs. A few get focused on while the rest fade into the background.

Two characters we were briefly introduced to in the last book become members of the party: Errand, an innocent child and unlikely thief, and Taiba, a slave woman the party rescues. While he plays a larger role in the second series, here Errand is primarily used as a plot device. He is the only true innocent on the planet and therefor able to touch the Orb. His name comes from "errand" being the only word he says as he tries to give the Orb to anyone he sees. His innocence is also used occasionally as a distraction to get others to do the right thing. Taiba seems primarily to be a foil to Relg. Being a slave her entire life, she has had a hard life and is unused to the outside world. She also represents the ultimate temptation for Relg: sin. It is through her that Relg starts to have a small character arc as he realizes that the world is not as black and white as he would like. Ironically, after the party gets to Riva, these characters pretty much fade into the background.

Garion continues to grow, transitioning from a typical teen to the beginnings of maturity. After his true heritage is announced to the world, Garion has no choice but to accept the role the Prophecy has laid out for him. It is with a mixture of relief and trepidation that he looks full on his destiny and choose the path that will save the most lives.

Ce'Nedra also begins her character arc. For the first time in her life she realizes that she is not the center of the universe and cares more for another than for herself. It is through this strength that she is able to complete the tasks set out for her by the Prophecy. It is good to see her as something more than a spoiled princess.

One of the downsides to The Belgariad is that Eddings sets up little side stories and then they don't go anywhere. It's a shame really as some of those stories could have been interesting. It is probably to keep things focused as many of those asides don't have much bearing on the overall story, but it still would've been neat as a way to revisit other areas of the world.

Rating:

lol!

4. Enchanters' End Game by David Eddings



The quest was over. The Orb has been recovered and a king sits once again on the Rivan throne as Overlord of the West. Yet the Prophecy is unfulfilled. The evil God Torak is about to awaken and seeks dominion over all. It is up to Garion to face the God in a fight to the death to decide the fate of all mankind.

Enchanters' End Game is the final book of The Belgariad. It's a satisfying ending to the series. The book is fast paced and was a page turner for me. All loose ends are tied up nicely. The character banter in this book is in high form. The conversations were so much fun to read. Eddings let almost every character have fun with this, even some of the minor ones.

Rating:

5. The Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child



The Museum of Natural History in New York has received their stolen gem collection back... as diamond dust. After receiving a well timed grant, the Museum decides to quell the PR disaster caused by the stolen diamonds by reopening the Tomb of Senef, an astounding Egyptian temple that was a popular museum exhibit until its closure in the 1930s. When the tomb is unsealed in preparations for its gala reopening, killings begin and rumors of an ancient curse are whispered. Special Agent Pendergast is locked in prison for crimes he didn't commit while his brilliant, sociopathic brother roams free to use the upcoming gala as a stage for his plots.

This is the first Preston & Child book I've read. I picked this book up when I was looking for a thriller novel. It is one of the rare times I didn't do any research before hand and I think it hurt the story. While the book is meant to be fairly stand alone, it happens in the middle of a larger series, is the end of a trilogy within that series, and there are references to things that have occurred in prior books that didn't make much sense not having read them. While it did fee odd, mostly they were easy to look past. The references Constance's childhood came up often enough that I definitely feel I missed something. The authors wrote a letter at the end discussing the series reading order which appears to be a common question from fans.

The first portion of the book was a slow build, which I did not expect in a thriller novel. The story jumps from plot line to plot line as it starts to bring things together. This is not done as well as in other books I've read, but it does it well enough that when everything gets going, it really gets going.

The authors have definitely done their research. They wove so many interesting bits into the story I found myself taking notes and Googling things I'd read about. Their ability to weave fact with fiction and make it all sound plausible is flawless.

I found the characters both interesting and boring at the same time. This is probably a side effect of having read the books out of order. There are a lot of characters already in the story but not a lot of character development. Presumably most of this has happened in the previous book.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. Good suspense, mystery, and surprise throughout, but not always fully explained.

Rating:

6. The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson



The Whirlwind rebellion has been crushed. The 14th army, commanded by Adjunct Tavore Paran, is chasing the last of the rebels, a force lead by Leoman of the Fails, to Y'Gathan, a city where they are expected to make their last stand. The prospect of a siege to this ancient city makes the Malazan Army wary: it is the place where the Empire's greatest champion, Dassem Ultor, was slain and much Malazan blood spilled. Bad omens and uncertainty about their leader worry the 14th as they head into what looks to be a difficult assault. Rumors of a plague on the continent decides the Adjunct: there will be no time to starve the rebels out, the city needs to be taken quickly.

In other parts of the world, agents of a far greater conflict begin making their moves. The Crippled God has been granted a place in the pantheon and a war among the gods threatens, sides must be chosen.

The Bonehhunters is the sixth novel of The Malazan Book of the Fallen. At just over 1200 pages it is easily the longest book in the series so far. It is also a direct follow up to book four, House of Chains. While I don't think the novel is as strong as some of the ones prior, we definitely hit a pivotal point in the series, a transition from the first half to the second half. Erikson begins splitting us away from the Malazan Empire events as we wind up for what is to come. The military element of the story plays a lesser role as the war amongst the gods and ascendants starts coming to the forefront.

As before, we have a large cast of characters. Many familiar faces are back and several new ones are introduced.

Erikson explores a more philosophical view in this novel. We see several examples of extreme religious practices and how easily they can lead to violence. Through character dialog we are treated to some pretty deep concepts of how the relationship between gods and mortals is a two way street and that neither is safe from the other. While the gods maybe at war, they better watch out for the mortals caught in between.

I admire Erkison's writing style more with each book. The descriptions make this world come alive for me. And his battle scenes are some of the best I've read.

This book was different from previous books in that it didn't build to a climax the way the others did. Instead there were plenty of awesome moments with several build ups and peaks throughout the book. The biggest build up was for the events at Y'Ghatan which happens fairly early on. It is an interesting change. I think my expectations may have been built up based on the flow of previous books that, while the ending was still amazing, it didn't carry the impact I was waiting for. I think this is what decided me on the half a star instead of four. I wonder how I'll feel about it on a future reread.

Rating:

Note: I read the first five in the series last year. Reviews for those can be found in last year's reading log.

7. Cleo by Helen Brown



"We're just going to look." Famous last words for anyone bringing their children to look at adoptable kittens. Cleo is a heart-warming memoir about a woman whose family is torn apart by the tragic death of her 9-year-old son, who only wanted a kitten for his birthday. He was told he had to wait until spring, and unfortunately, he never lived to see the kitten become a part of his family.

I enjoyed the book. There is a nice balance of feline antics and the story of the family. Following the family through heartbreak, changes, love, loss and new beginnings Cleo is the common thread through it all. The book is full of great quotes about cats and life.

Rating:

#34 - Oh my. Looks like I'd need a box of tissues to get through it, though. :o/

Yes, definitely. I cried at both ends of that story. It was worth it though.

8. Eric by Terry Pratchett



Eric is Discworld's only demonology hacker. All he wants is three wishes granted: the mastery of all kingdoms, to meet the most beautiful woman who ever existed, and to live forever. Unfortunately, instead of a powerful demon he conjures...Rincewind. Eric is disappointed as Rincewind tells him he is unable to create any of these things. It's not like he can actually make things happen at the snap of his fingers.

Eric is the parody retelling of Faust, Discworld style. Eric picks up right where Sourcery leaves of, with Rincewind stuck in the Dungeon Dimensions. The story is a quick, fun read with a great anti-hero in Rincewind. Pratchett humorously explores the idea of evil and that demons can learn from us humans (the concept of paperwork, for instance) as well as poking fun at a bit of history.

Rating:

Eric is probably my least favourite pTerry book. I don't like Rincewind at the best of times, and this seeded just silly rather than funny - although there are a few good lines in it.

I want to re-read it. I didn't know it was playing with the Faust the first time I read it. I haven't read Faust yet though.

The Belgariad is a great series! I've enjoyed them many times. I wish I could say the same of the Erickson books, I just can't get around to finishing book 2.

#38 - Rincewind is my least favorite of the Discworld novels. They are always so frivolous when the others usually go deeper than that. It was still a fun read. And quick clocking in at under 200 pages. I have two more Watch novels waiting in the wings too :)

#39 - I had not read Faust either. Had to look it up when I noticed the reference in the book.

#40 - I enjoy both series. They are quite different from each other. I hope to finish the Malazan series this year so if you check back now and then you'll get my thoughts as I go.

I would suggest everyone read some version of Faust! If you want a short format, you can go with Marlowe's play (I read it in a collection of his plays, I've not yet read the full text myself).

9. The Wild Ways by Tanya Huff



Charlie Gale is happily settled in Calgary with her cousin Allie, Graham (Allie's husband and ex-monster hunter), Jack (a fourteen year old Dragon Prince and Gale boy), a few Aunties and is playing with a popular country western band. Well, maybe not so happily. Charlie is one of the family's rare Wild Powers and there's nothing wild about the life she's living. So when the opportunity to join a Celtic band for a summer festival circuit in Nova Scotia appears, Charlie knows it's time for a change. She has no intentions of getting involved in a local fight against an oil company planning to drill offshore next to a seal rookery, especially one being waged by the Selkie community. That is until she discovers the oil company is using a horrible means to get what they want: They've hired a Gale Auntie.

Giving new meaning to the phrase born to be wild, The Wild Ways is the follow up to The Enchantment Emporium. Similar to the first, this is another coming of age story that takes a theme from Spiderman: With great power comes great responsibility. The character banter is just as great and the pop culture references are a lot of fun. We also get to see more of Jack, which I really enjoyed.

While it's a good squeal, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first. The mystery aspect of the first book was missing. That said, I hope Huff continues to add to the series. Jack needs his own book!

Rating:

10. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams



Eight years after his first hitchhiking experience, Arthur Dent is surprised to find himself back on Earth. Much to his amazement, it was not destroyed by Vogons after all. Arthur manages to pick up his old life pretty much right where he left off, although he does have to dispose of eight years accumulated junk mail and a lot of spoiled food in his fridge. Along the way, he meets a girl named Fenchurch (Fenny for short) who is convinced not is all right on Earth and whose feet don't touch the ground. And there is the issue of all the dolphins disappearing the same day the planet wasn't destroyed. God only knows what it all means. Fortunately He left behind a Final Message to Creation as an explanation.

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish is the fourth book in The Hitchhiker's trilogy. It has a much different tone than the ones prior as it is mostly a love story with very little space travel involved until the end. The humorous sub-plots still exist and we again run into Ford Prefect and see a small cameo by Marvin. While not my favorite in the series, I still found it an enjoyable read.

Rating:

11. Emma by Jane Austen



Although convinced that she herself will never marry, Emma Woodhouse - beautiful, clever, rich and single - imagines herself to be naturally talented in match making. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr. Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her friend Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected.

My only experience with Austen before this was Pride and Prejudice, which I quite enjoyed, so I was surprised by how hard a time I had getting into Emma. The story dragged in the beginning for me and I found myself putting the book down quite often. There was a lack of plot and I found that saw things coming that the characters didn't which made their big reveals have less impact. The other issue I had was with Austen's writing style. Her use of language is beautiful. However, at some points when the story seems to be going very slowly it began to grate on me. She also seemed to do a lot of telling rather than showing.

That said, by the third act I finally became more involved with the characters. They are funny, witty, annoying and quite memorable. The social commentary provided by the ladies was an interesting insight into the times back then. Some things are vastly different now and in others things haven't changed all that much. I'm glad I stuck it out.

Rating:

12. Reaper's Gale by Steven Erikson



All is not well in the Letherii Empire. Rhulad, the Emperor of a Thousand Deaths, sinks deeper into insanity with every champion that kills him. The economy is on the verge of collapse. There is a money shortage and citizens are starving. And while the Tiste Edur hold a privileged place in society, the Patriotists, Letheri secret police, rule with a gore covered fist as they conduct a reign of terror on their own people. There are revolts along the Empire's border. To top it all off, there are rumors that the Chancellor plots to overthrow the Emperor. With all this going on it's no surprise that members of the Emperor's court are not paying much attention when another momentous event takes place: A Malazan army has just arrived and landed on their shores.

Reaper's Gale is book 7 of Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen. Events set in motion in books 5 and 6 are picked up and tied together as the series starts the slow build to its conclusion. Timeline wise the story picks up right where The Bonehunters leaves off. This is the first book with more already known characters than new ones, though there are still plenty of those to keep track of. I was excited to have several of my favorites back and and especially to see what kind of trouble Tehol and Bugg would be up to. I was not disappointed.

Erikson is keeping his cards close to the vest at this point. This story pretty much kept on my toes the entire time. His ability to slowly reveal events through the characters point of view is one thing I appreciate and look forward to as I read each book. His ability to give us a insight into character motivations and thoughts is stellar.

Several plot lines were neatly closed in this book. It's great when you have all that build up finally pay off. If this is any indicator as to what we will see in the next books, I'm excited.

Reaper's Gale is darker, more dour than the last entry. I'm glad Erikson has continued adding humorous elements to his book so we have small breaks in between. All the dourness also provides a great contrast to when some truly beautiful events happen you appreciate them even more.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This series is not one for the faint of heart or for anyone that has trouble with violence. While not an easy read, it is most rewarding.

Rating:

13. Wicked Weaves by Joyce & Jim Lavene



Jessie has been working the Renaissance Faire Village every summer since graduating college. Now that she is pursuing a PhD in history, Jessie is doing research for her doctorate dissertation by apprenticing herself to various craftspeople at the Faire. This summer her apprenticeship is with a master basket maker, Mary Shift, in her shop Wicked Weaves. Things seen to be going like your average summer until a man is found murdered, strangled with a piece of Mary's weave. Jessie takes it upon herself to come to Mary's rescue and find out what really happened.

The premise of a murder mystery at a Renaissance Faire is why I decided to give this book a try. Wicked Weaves was part romance and part mystery, which I was not expecting. I did enjoy idea of a permanent Renaissance Faire, though they kept mixing in characters and things that I've never seen at any Faire I've attended. Little Bo Peep complete with her sheep for example. I did not like the writing style in the first person as I found Jessie mostly annoying with her internal commentary about all the guys she's dated in previous summers, constant whining about Chase (this summer's boyfriend) and her frequent jumps to the wrong conclusions as to who the murder is. The basket weaving descriptions, with their history, had small mentions and I wish they were gone into more as they were interesting.

Otherwise, it was a light, easy read. Not really sure I'd recommend this book to anyone though.

Rating:

14. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card



Earth has been attacked twice by Buggers, an alien race, and the human race was almost destroyed. To ensure Earth doesn't lose the war the world government begins breeding military geniuses. These children are then trained in the arts of war in the form of games. Ender Wiggin is a genius among geniuses. But can he win the games and go on to save the human race?

I've heard about this book for a while and been curious about it given the book's cult status. Then I saw that it's being turned into a movie and finally decided give the book a go. Every now and then you come across a book whose writing isn't that great but the story manages to suck you in anyway, to the point where you end up enjoying it more than you thought you would. Ender's Game falls into that category for me. The first few chapters of the book start out rough writing wise. Then the writing gradually gets better and I found the story entertaining.

Rating:

Ender's game has several several sequels that were written a lot later. Personally I like the first few better than the later ones, but I've also seen the opposite opinion. The first sequel, Ender's shadow, tells more or less the same story from Bean's point of view, and I rather liked that one...

#49 - Interesting. I may need to look that up. Thanks for the tip.

15. America the Beautiful by Dr. Ben Carson



America the Beautiful is a look at America's past, what made this country great and how we can learn from our past to ensure a better future. Dr. Carson likes to lead with stories of his own experiences and then relate them to what is happening in the country today. It was nice to have someone discuss solutions to problems for once instead of assigning blame. For anyone who saw the speech he made at the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast, that will give you an idea for what to expect from this book.

Rating:

16. Bauchelain and Korbal Broach by Steven Erikson



Bauchelain and Korbal Broach are three novellas set in the world of Erikson's epic Malazan Books of the Fallen. These characters are first encountered in the 3rd book of that series. These stories are vastly different in tone than the main series, more of a dark satire, and work as stand alone stories, though having some knowledge of the Malazan world is helpful.

The first novella, Blood Follows, is the story of how Emancipor Reece came to be employed by two homicidal necromancers, Bauchelain and Korbal Broach. The second story, The Lees of Laughter's End, picks up right after the first as the group sets sail on a ship as far away as they can get. Unfortunately for them, or perhaps that is fortunate, the ship appears to be haunted. The third story, The Healthy Dead, is set a few years later when our anti-heroes come across a city fanatically and forcefully dedicated to health and well-being, so much so that it may lead to the end of civilization. This naturally sets Bauchelain on the noble task of confounding the end of civilization, if only for the challenge of it.

The stories were weird, creepy, dark, sometimes funny and well written. The level of detail found in Erikson's other works is also present in these stories. I found each story progressively more entertaining. There is quite a bit of gore, which is to be expected when the title characters are necromancers. This could be a fun reread for Halloween.

Rating:

17. Oink: My Life with Mini-Pigs by Matt Whyman



Matt Whyman's life was nice and quiet. As quiet as it gets with four children, a dog, a cat and a few chickens anyway. That is right until his wife Emma falls in love with pigs said to fit into a teacup. She believes that two would be the perfect addition to their family. Soon enough Butch and Roxi arrive at their new home and soon begin to dominate the entire family.

Oink was a fun, heartwarming read that follows the Whyman family for their first year of mini-pig ownership. Parts are lough out loud funny with all the trouble the piglets get into.

Rating:

I love pigs. On the wishlist this goes.

There are a few photos included too :) The piglets are adorable.

18. Soul Music by Terry Pratchett



Sex, drugs and Music With Rocks In. Well...one out of three ain't bad. Actually, it's only thirty-three percent, but it could be worse.

Imp the Bard comes to Ankh-Morpork to find his fortune. After forming a band and buying a mysterious guitar from an unusual music shop, the group is discovered by a new type of music: Music With Rocks In. Elsewhere on the Disc Death is feeling down about his job and leaves to find forgetfulness. It is up to Susan, Death's granddaughter, to take over the family business. Just as she's starting to get the hang of things something in her soul goes "twang."

Soul Music is the Discworld take on rock & roll and the third book in the Death series. Many of the gags were spot on and Imp's story is great satire of the music industry. The two threads start out quite separate and come together well for the ending. I loved the transformation of the elderly magicians of Unseen University turning into rebellious teenagers after listening to the music. While not my favorite Discworld novel, it was an entertaining read.

Rating:

Susan is one of my favourite Pratchett characters. I agree that this book is not a favourite, but she lifts it a notch higher than it would otherwise rank for me.

Our family loves this book, because we are suckers for puns and it is full of them!

19. Split Infinity by Piers Anthony



Soon after escaping assassination on the highly technical, science-oriented planet of Proton, Stile finds himself in a world of sorcery and magic where another power seeks his destruction.

Split Infinity is the first in the Apprentice Adept series by Piers Anthony. Unlike most genre books this one takes place in both sci-fi and fantasy worlds. Proton is the sci-fi story and Phaze is the fantasy story.

It is the ultimate male fantasy story. Stile is a master Gamesman, expert at nearly every Game, the top ranked jockey on the planet and has quite a way with the ladies, human and inhuman alike. He is also blessed with a magic affinity on Phaze that he picks up in minutes. His only "flaw" is being short, which he internally monologues about and uses as his rationalization as why some people don't like him. It's annoying.

That being said, the worlds themselves are both interesting. I liked the concept of two worlds overlapping in space by alternate realities. The way the Game works and how the selection process is a huge part of the strategy was also a great concept. Stile's first attempt to ride a unicorn was also priceless and one of the best parts of the book.

This book was recommended to me by my husband. All he remembered was the Game and how much he liked that. He was surprised by my lack of enthusiasm and when I explained why he realized he didn't remember any of the non-Game parts at all!

I'm not sure I would recommend this book to anyone. There were enough parts I found entertaining that I gave it 3 stars instead of 2.5. I'm also not sure I'll continue with this series.

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20. Inferno by Dan Brown



Waking up in a hospital bed with no memory of how he got there, Robert Langdon is disoriented to find himself in Florence, Italy. Quickly he is drawn into a mystery based on one of the world's literary masterpieces: Dante's Inferno. Racing against time and against a chilling, if brilliant, adversary, Langdon seeks to find answers...if only he could remember why he was brought here!

Inferno is the fourth book in Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series. The first portion of this book I almost felt like it was one big marketing piece to visit Florence. While normally I admire attention to detail, it started to detract from the story instead of add to it. On the other hand, if Brown has a contract with the Florence visitors bureau he has succeeded wildly because now I want to plan a trip to Italy!

The use of misdirection in this book is really well done. When one of the big reveals happened about 2/3rds of the way through, I had no idea what was being set up. Looking back I can see there were a few hints along the way and am a little surprised at how badly I missed them.

If you've read other Dan Brown novels, you pretty much know what to expect. His signature formula is still there. While I don't think it was as good as Angels and Demons it was still an enjoyable read and I learned a few things along the way. I may need to revisit Dante at some point also.

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21. Toll the Hounds by Steven Erikson



"Beware the Toll."

It is said that Hood waits at the end of every plot, every scheme, each grandiose ambition. But this time it is different. This time the Lord of Death is there at the beginning. Darujhistan swelters in the summer heat and seethes with portents, rumors and whispers. Strangers have arrived, a murderer is abroad, past-tyrannies are stirring and assassins seem to be targeting the owners of K'rul's Bar. For the small, rotund man in the faded red waistcoat knows such events will be dwarfed by what is about to happen: for in the distance can be heard the baying of hounds. Far away, in Black Coral, the ruling Tiste Andii appear oblivious to the threat posed by the fast-growing cult of the Redeemer -- an honorable, once-mortal man who seems powerless against the twisted vision of his followers. So while Hood waits at the beginning of a conspiracy that will shake the cosmos, at its end there is another: Anomander Rake, Son of Darkness, has come to right an ancient and terrible wrong.

Toll the Hounds is the Eight Tale of The Malazan Book of the Fallen. And boy are we in for a ride! As we close in on the grand finale of this epic series story threads are really coming together. Things hinted at from book one finally come to fruition here. Many characters we haven't seen in a couple books are back and it's both great and painful to catch up with them.

There is a change in writing style where the two main story lines are told by different narrators, one of which is by one of the story's characters. I quite liked this as it provided a larger scope of how events affect the area around them from points of view normally not seen. It also added the character's touch of flare and poetry to those sections that were beautiful to read. Erikson has mastered how, in two or three pages, he can relate a small scene to greater events with such depth and detail that you almost come to care for a character that has no impact on the overall story.

Erikson continues to weave humorous parts throughout the story to help lighten up what is otherwise a fairly dark book. This culminates in one scene I'd secretly been hoping to see but never imagined it would really happen. All I have to say is Iskarul Pust and Kruppe.

My main criticism of the book is that it is very slow moving in parts. This does not make the book boring however. It is a slow build of 800 pages or so which, compare to earlier books that had small climaxes throughout, make this one feel like it plods along initially. But once it takes off hold on tight!

As always, the book ends in a massive convergence, this time on a scale not previously seen so far. Many story lines are nicely tied up and we are left with several set ups for the ending to come.

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22. A Supremely Bad Idea by Luke Dempsey



A Supremely Bad Idea is a memoir about Luke Dempsey and his friends Don and Donna's adventures in birding. They travel across the US in search of the rarest and most beautiful birds they can find hitting many remote areas of the country. I picked this book up on a whim. I am not a birder though I enjoy animal/nature memoirs. It was a fun read. Dempsey's writing is witty and educational and a couple of times lough out loud funny. I liked the included photos taken on their trips. Some of those birds are spectacular.

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#62 - That sounds like a great birthday gift for my brother!

23. Night of Knives by Ian C. Esslemont



Malaz Island, the island that named a great empire, is little more than a sleepy back-water until this night. This is the night of a Shadow Moon, a once in a generation event that threatens everyone on the island as the borders between realms become thin. Demonic hounds roam the night and it is rumored that the Emperor himself will return this night to the chagrin. As factions gather within to draw battle lines an ancient presence begins its all out assault on the island and its people.

Night of Knives is written in the world of the Malazan Empire drawing on events mentioned in Gardens of the Moon. The story is told from two vantage points: Kiska, a young and naive thief, and Temper, a war weary veteran. The two points of view contrast nicely. I really enjoyed reading Temper's perspective, especially the flash backs to his old army days, though the Kiska sections became annoying quickly, which was probably the point. It is not the most well written novel I've read. Some parts felt like they were padded to add length to the book while others felt rushed.

This book seems to be for people who are already fans of Erikson's series and they should enjoy being filled in on history only lightly touched upon in the books.

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24. Black Company by Glen Cook



The Black Company is an elite mercenary unit under a new commander: The Lady. Some say she stand between humankind and evil. To others she is evil itself. Either way the Company has a job to do and do it they will.

It took me a little while to get into this book. The Black Company is a combination of fantasy and gritty military fiction. It's told from the first person perspective of the Company doctor and historian, Croaker. The tale is told more like a battle/travel log then a regular fantasy story as we're taken through a series of events instead of a typical plot. Everything works together by the end though it feels fairly random in the beginning. I am intrigued enough that I think I will continue this series.

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25. Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams



Arthur Dent is heartbroken after losing his girlfriend in an unexpected manner. He then sets out to find a planet similar to Earth. At one point, he crash lands on a planet and finds a village in which he becomes the sandwich maker. During this time, Ford Prefect finds out that the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is under new management. The new management is boring and Ford feels the need to revert it back to the original, more fun, way it had been before this drastic change. After leaping out of a building several times, he finds the new version of the Guide called Guide 2.0. He sends this to Arthur to protect, and the plot continues to unfold from there.

Mostly Harmless is the definitive end to the Hitchhikers Guide series. There is quite a bit of theoretical science in this book unlike the previous books. The story is funny and silly that takes the characters through a twisted plot. Zaphod and Marvin are missing from the story though the rest of the regular cast is present along with some new additions. It’s not the same caliber as the first two books in the series, but if you enjoyed the third and fourth books you’ll probably like this one.

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26. Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett



It's a hot Midsummer Night. Magrat Garlick is going to be married in the morning. Everything ought to be going like a dream. But the Lancre All-Comers Morris Team have got drunk on a fairy mound and the elves have come back, bringing all those things traditionally associated with the magical, glittering realm of Faerie: cruelty, kidnapping, malice and evil, evil murder. Granny Weatherwax and her tiny argumentative coven have really got their work cut out this time.

What a fun read! Lords and Ladies is absolutely brilliant. It's a dark comedy that turns some fantasy genre staples on it's head while paying homage to Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. There is also a healthy dose of physics and the nature of reality thrown in. Pratchett makes it all work together as only he can. This is one I plan to reread in the future.

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I need to reread this one, I don't remember it as clearly as the other Witches books.

This was one of the first Pratchett books I read, LOVED it.

It's my favorite Witches book so far. I had to look - I'm glad there are two more for me to read in their story line. Maybe Pratchett will write another before I get there :)

Are there others I should read before trying L&L?

Granny Weatherwax makes a fleeting appearance in Equal Rites, if memory serves me well. But the Witches arc really starts with Wyrd Sisters, and I suspect you may get a bit lost in Lancre if you don't read that first.

Have you read any other Discworld? Witches Abroad should probably be read before Lords and Ladies as L&L picks up where Abroad leaves off and has some direct references. The other two prior Witches books are helpful to be introduced to the characters though you can probably still enjoy L&L without them. They are Equal Rites and Wyrd Sisters.

I didn't read any other witches books before I read Lords and Ladies, still loved it. The only other Pratchett book I had read was Hogfather. Of course I understood the characters and had more appreciation the second time, after I had read the story arc, but it didn't ruin that first read for me.

27. Sheepfarmer's Daughter by Elizabeth Moon



Paksenarrion, Paks for short, wants more out of life than to marry the pig farmer down the road. Against her father's wishes she's off to join the army, even if it means she can never see her family again. And so here her adventure begins.

Sheepfarmer's Daughter is the first in The Deeds of Paksnearrion series by Elizabeth Moon. It is a traditional style fantasy story where the main character is on her way to becoming a hero through deed and strength of character quickly rising through the ranks of the company while avoiding several cliches. Paks is just the sheepfarmer's daughter who wants to be a fighter. She makes mistakes, has prejudices and achieves her goals through hard work and determination instead of being gifted with special powers. Others see Paks as special while she is content to see herself as a good fighter and soldier.

One of the things I liked is the author doesn't shy away from the details of military life. There are details about hardships of life on the march, the difficulties in dealing with a mixed sex army from the female perspective, the importance of drills and the chaos of the battle field. It is not gritty fantasy - while many people die details of their injuries are largely left out. The author's background in military training definitely shows.

On the downside, characters other than Paks are only lightly fleshed out. There is one chapter near the end from another character's point of view that was great - I wish there had been more of this. There is also a lot of travel involved, which starts to get repetitive and loses the tension being built by the story.

Those minor flaws aside, I quite enjoyed the book. I'll be looking for the other books to continue the series.

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Sounds good! It's going on my wishlist!

The Paksenarrion trilogy is great, quite gruelling in places but I love it. I haven't read any of the follow-on series though.

#67 - I'm about to start listening to Lord & Ladies. :o)

You're in for a treat! Enjoy!

#78 - You're going to enjoy it clamairy :)

#77 - Bought book 3 today at a local book store. Just need to obtain book 2 and I can continue the series. I'm looking forward to it.

28. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens



This is my first read of A Christmas Carol. A few minor changes aside, the movies are pretty true to the book. It was a nice quick read to extend the Christmas feeling to the new year.

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And that's going to do it for this year. 28 is not as many as I would've liked but not too bad given how busy my new job has kept me. Here's to more books in 2014!