Caramellunacy revisits the TBR excavation

Revisiting the digsite of Mt. TBR again this year, I'm aiming to excavate 50 artefacts by the end of this year.




Titles listed in italics are loans (library books rather than TBR) and do not count towards the total. Numbered entries count toward the challenge and bold underline means an exhibit of the month pick!

Wish me luck and happy excavating!

January
1. Music and Silence - Rose Tremain
2. The Naturals - Jennifer Lynn Barnes
3. Distant Waves - Suzanne Weyn
4. Redshirts - John Scalzi
Burn for Burn - Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
5. Dance Upon the Air - Nora Roberts
Lost for words - Lorelei Mathias
6. The Smile - Donna Jo Napoli
7. The Fantastic Mr. Fox - Roald Dahl
Firespell - Chloe Neill
8. Lord of the Nile - Constance O'Banyon
The Round House - Louise Erdrich

February
9. The War at Ellsmere - Faith Erin Hicks
10. Easy - Tammara Webber
11. Dance of Shadows - Yelana Black
12. Pride & Prejudice, the Graphic Novel - adapted by Nancy Butler
13. Because of Low - Abbi Glines
14. Don't Run Whatever You Do - Peter Allison
15. The Tiger Warrior - David Gibbins
16. Smart Girls Get What They Want - Sarah Strohmeyer
17. The Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots - Carolly Erickson
18. Better Nate Than Ever - Tim Federle

March
19. In the Woods - Tana French
20. Remarkable - Lizzie K. Foley
21. A Lady's Guide to Improper Behavior - Suzanne Enoch
22. Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell
23. The Accounting Game - Judith Orloff
24. Finders Keepers - Linnea Sinclair
25. Violet on the Runway - Melissa Walker
26. Violet by Design - Melissa Walker
27. Dancing in Red Shoes Will Kill You - Dorian Cirrone
28. The Caravaggio Conspiracy - Alex Connor
29. Buried - Robin MacCready
30. Various Positions - Martha Schabas

April
31. Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
32. Diplomatic Baggage - Brigid Keenan
33. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - John Berendt
34. Charming the Prince - Teresa Medeiros
35. Someday Dancer - Sarah Rubin
36. The Girl Who Disappeared Twice - Andrea Kane
37. Soulless - Gail Carriger
38. Soulless: The Manga (Vol. 1) - Gail Carriger & REM

May
39. Blackout - Connie Willis
40. The Thousand Dollar Tan Line - Rob Thomas & Jennifer Graham
41. Warm Up - Sara Leach
42. I, Juan de Pareja - Elizabeth Borton de Trevino
43. The Lost Diary of Don Juan - Douglas Carlton Abrams
44. Prisoner of the Inquisition - Theresa Breslin
45. Model Marine - Candace Havens
46. A String in the Harp - Nancy Bond

June
47. Against All Enemies - Jack Campbell
48. Heat Wave - Richard Castle (TV-tie-in)
49. The Undomestic Goddess - Sophie Kinsella
50. Wish You Were Italian - Kristin Rae
51. Sharpe's Eagle - Bernard Cornwell
52. It's Up to You, New York - Tess Daly
53. A Confederation of Valor - Tanya Huff
54. Cupidity - Caroline Goode
55. Ghost Walk - Heather Graham
56. Can You Keep a Secret? - Sophie Kinsella
57. Getting Over Garrett Delaney - Abby McDonald

July
58. Once a Hero - Elizabeth Moon
Dreamland - Sarah Dessen
59. The Shining Girls - Lauren Beukes
60. The Painted Girls - Cathy Marie Buchanan
The Rook - Daniel O'Malley
61. Heart and Salsa - Suzanne Nelson
Prince of Shadows - Rachel Caine
Don't Even Think About It - Sarah Mlynowski
62. The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet - Bernie Su
Ghost Hawk - Susan Cooper
63. Miss Wonderful - Loretta Chase

August
Fire with Fire - Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Between the Lines - Tammara Webber
Shadows on the Nile - Kate Furnivall
64. Temping Fate - Esther Friesner
65. Everything Leads to You - Nina LaCour

September
66. The Restorer - Amanda Stevens
67. Maid to Match - Deeanne Gist
68. Rogue Squadron - Michael Stackpole
69. Saint's Gate - Carla Neggers
70. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline

October
71. Inferno - Dan Brown

Artefact:Music & Silence - Rose Tremain
Trove:Paperback
Status:Deaccessioned


Fieldnotes:
1 Angelically Beautiful English Lutenist
1 Tragically Bankrupt Kingdom
Several Bouts of Madness, including:
1 Indeterminately Insane Monarch

4 Scheming Ladies
3 Very Bad Spouses
2 Mistreated Children (1 a Magical Plot Moppet)
1 Failed Silver Mine
And a Lady-in-Waiting with a Pet Hen

The short version:
I didn't like it - I found the characters unlikeable, manipulative and self-centered, but at least it starts the year off with me clearing one off my shelves!

The longer version:
Music and Silence is a historical novel, set in 1629-1630 in Denmark at the court of King Christian IV - who is depressingly short on money and spends much of his time trying to come up with get-rich-quick schemes that tend to go horribly wrong. He also has nightmares and general hang-ups from his youth and requires the constant presence of his musicians - who he keeps pent-up in a freezing wine cellar that they might pipe seemingly magical music into his throne room unseen. His new favorite is Peter Claire, the golden blond English lutenist "angel", who reminds him of his boyhood friend (whose fate remains troublingly uncertain throughout much of the novel). We also follow Christian's sex-crazed selfish wife Kirsten and her infidelities, her lady-in-waiting Emilia (who catches Peter's eye), Emilia's family back in Jutland who is dealing with a similarly sexually manipulative stepmother and her odd (magical plot moppet) little brother Marcus who can imagine himself into the being of animals (or something). Occasionally we also glimpse Peter's former lover, an Italian lady married to a music-obsessed Irish count, King Christian's scheming mother, Kirsten's scheming mother, King Charles I of England and the fates of the villagers near the failed silver mine.

In short, true to its subject, Tremain weaves different strains of story to create a whole meditation on insanity, power struggles, happiness and selfishness. And I just didn't like it. I didn't care for any of the characters who all seemed painfully self-centered and uncaring of their actions' effects on others - unless they were reveling in the pain they caused. I found the blatant sexual manipulations by both Kirsten and Magdalena incredibly distasteful and neither of them showed much in terms of redeeming qualities. Kirsten's efforts on behalf of Emilia and her affection toward her were based solely on the condition that Emilia give up all other interests and obligations in her life to cater solely to Kirsten's whims. Magdalena's storyline was just... is there a word for something so pathetic and broken and messed-up that you feel only a certain amount of contemptuous distaste? - wretched maybe? And the women's use of sex as a tool was echoed by men's casual contemplations of rape as an imposition of their rightful power and violence (sexual or otherwise) as an attempt to subvert and take back the power the women gained through sex. And it was just...ick.

Even Emilia, who was the closest of the main characters to being sympathetic, lost me when she cannot be roused from her self-pitying contemplation of suicide but is stuck in this rut of misery rather than rousing herself to the very happiness she has been awaiting for so long. The only stories I actually enjoyed reading were Charlotte's (for the most part) and Francesca's (after the end of her husband's crazed violence).

So I started off the year with a "literary" melancholy contemplation of power dynamics, the role of women, the nature of love and madness. And I am now firmly convinced that it is time to return to my 'happy' books as my forays into the literary world always seem to leave me unsettled and irritated.

Next up: SPACE OPERA!

Good to see you back - good luck digging away!

Welcome back, Caramella. Good to see you again and Happy Reading.

Welcome back! Looking forward to seeing what else you unearth! :)

Nice setup!

I like your format for posting. Very nice review of book #1!

Artefact: The Naturals - Jennifer Lynn Barnes (The Naturals, Book 01)
Trove: Paperback
Status: Seeking Connected Artefacts (Permanent Collection)



Fieldnotes:
5 Innately Gifted Teenagers (with Troubling Backstories)
2 Field Agents in Charge of Corralling Them
1 Serial Killer
1 Relevant Cold Case
Several Profiling Lessons
1 Love Triangle on the Backburner to Focus on SOLVING CRIME

The short version:
I really enjoyed this story about Cassie - an innate profiler - and the (small) group of other "Naturals" being trained by the FBI to hone their gifts to solve cold cases. November 2014 (when the next book in the series is to be released) seems way too far off.

The long version:
Ever since her mother's brutal (and unsolved) murder five years ago, Cassie Hobbes has felt adrift. But at 17, she's flagged as a candidate for an exclusive secret FBI training program designed to train teenagers with innate abilities useful to FBI investigations (reading emotions, systemizing data, deception, profiling) to solve cold cases.

Cassie does her best to figure out the emotionally guarded other four teens living in the house as FBI profiler Agent Locke teaches her and fellow profiler Natural Dean the ins and outs of slipping into the heads of criminals and victims. But soon Cassie tries to test her skills on one of the agents' active cases - and turns up what may be a connection to her mother's case...

I have always been intrigued by profiling (I pondered it as a career choice in college for a bit, but decided it would take too great a toll emotionally - also, i was reluctant to be part of psychological experiments which was a requirement for basic psychology courses in college, so opportunity lost...), and have read a few of the profiling memoirs out there (specifically Whoever Fights Monsters by Robert Ressler and Mindhunter by John Douglas, the latter of which, coincidentally, the author references as part of her research), so the premise was right up my alley. And I found myself really enjoying the execution as well - Cassie's talents are both innate and were honed during her early childhood helping her mother play psychic. Her inexperience in profiling from objects/crime scenes rather than from actual people's body language and behavior is refreshing (she may be a Natural, but she has to struggle with those aspects that she had no reason to practice), and I really liked her interactions with Dean.

There was a bit of a love triangle with Michael and Dean both clearly interested in Cassie (but Michael at least with an on-again/off-again situation with Lia to fall back on), but happily there was very little angsting about who to make out with next (and what there was seemed relatively maturely handled) and a lot more focus on solving crime.

Good start into the new year. I like the fieldnotes your are making to every book. They are fun to read ! :)

Thanks all for stopping by! I'm hoping to get some good momentum started early to help carry me through some of the busy times at work!

I love your field notes!

Artefact: Distant Waves - Suzanne Weyn
Trove: Paperback
Status: Deaccessioned



Fieldnotes:
1 Psychic of Dubious Abilities
1 Spiritualism Conference
2 Telepathically(?) Connected Twins
3 Prophetic Forebodings of Disaster
3 Stowaways
1 Shipwreck

1 Eccentric Scientist
1 Handsome Assistant
Science?!
Gilded Age Celebrity Name-Dropping
1 Hastily Dropped Racism Subplot

The Short Version:
For a book that centers around the Titanic disaster, we actually spend incredibly little time on the Titanic and even less during the disaster. The book focuses far more on Tesla's experiments and science and the vagaries of spiritualism.

The Long Version:
Budding journalist Jane Taylor grew up in an unconventional household. Her mother is a prominent medium in Spirit Vale, a town dedicated to communing with the dead. Her sisters are fairly evenly split on the spiritualism question with the twins Emma and Amelie true believers (who show signs of powers themselves) and her eldest sister Mimi and youngest sister Blythe of a more skeptical persuasion. Jane herself is agnostic on the question - while she's definitely seen instances of her mother's trickery, she also has seen moments that she's not sure how to explain.

Since a terrifying encounter during an earthquake when she was young, Jane has been fascinated with the life and inventions of Nikola Tesla. It's only natural, then, that when she has a chance to enter a journalism competition, she travels to New York to ask him for an interview. And this is the very trip that sets things in motion - Jane encounters Nikola's handsome assistant, Thad, and Mimi meets Benjamin Guggenheim's mistress Ninette who invites Mimi to travel with them, and who is eventually responsible (at least in part) for the family's trip on the ill-fated Titanic.

So let's get my most significant gripe out of the way at the very beginning - for a novel billed as being about the Titanic (including several references and foreboding prophecies), we barely spend time aboard and we spend even less time with the sinking due to a bit of a weird plot twist that didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story for me. This was most disappointing because I was interested in several of the themes of the novel - some of which I found new and unusual based on my reading about the disaster thus far.

First off, we have a character (Thad) who has a serious chip on his shoulder when it comes to "people who have money" - possibly stemming from his parents' days as a missionary in China. Or it may have something to do with Tesla and his trouble getting the funding he needs for his projects because of his determination to circumvent the capitalist agenda and provide free(!) power to the masses. Either way, Thad is pretty convinced that anyone who has money can only be a selfish jerk and has no qualms about approving of Jane because she obviously doesn't have money and because she's not fawning over those who do. This makes both her and me uncomfortable - there are plenty of instances in the Gilded Age where the downright shameless excesses of the rich in contrast to the abject poverty of most is truly shocking. But, Thad, you are NOT a bad person if you would like to have a lobster dinner, drink champagne and sleep in an incredibly fancy hotel room for once - and it would have been nice for his preconceptions on this to have been challenged in some way (Molly Brown, for instance?).

Regardless of this, I would have thought that the sinking of the Titanic, with the steerage passengers kept locked below while the ship filled with water and half-empty lifeboats being sent off so there was no class-mixing, would have been a great way to drive this point home - but class differentiation is only lightly touched upon and we spend next to no time dealing with the consequences of the iceberg.

Another theme that is raised, but promptly relegated to the background, is the issue of race, especially in Gilded Age America. A significant character turns out to be of Haitian descent - though the character's light skin allows this heritage to remain hidden unless revealed. The character struggles with a sense of identity and whether there is a need for deception in some scenes, but for all this bravado, spends most of the book passing as Caucasian and therefore avoiding any problems. This and the assertion that Spirit Vale "isn't racist" seemed strange given that the author included this plot thread at all. It is noted that neither the US nor the UK offices of the White Star Line would allow tickets to be sold to black passengers - insisting that they were sold out (which was an appalling fact that I was unaware of). But the lone(?) Haitian man on board (and married to a white woman, no less) is only mentioned in passing and there is no real discussion of whether he finds life aboard difficult or whether he is treated poorly. I think this could have been a very interesting plot line and was disappointed to find it dropped.

While I enjoyed the spiritualism and/vs. science spectrum included in the novel and to a certain extent liked the ambiguity regarding Jane's mother's powers, others may not enjoy the twins' much more intense powers (which seem accepted and indisputable in the context of the novel). And while I enjoyed seeing Stead's (fictional) spiritualism conference, I grew weary of Gilded Age Celebrity Name-dropping - the Astors, the Guggenheims, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry Houdini, not to mention Tesla. I was fine with one set (the spirtualists/skeptics) or the other (Gilded Age high society), but getting to meet both and have a chat with all her heros just seemed over-the-top to me.

So strangely - for a book that I picked up because it was about the Titanic, I enjoyed it until the characters ended up on the Titanic...

Well, the short version doesn't sound like it was a great reed.

Glad to see you back!

Haha I read "Science?!" in a voice like the singer on "She Blinded Me With Science". :)

Nice to see you again! Love your reviews.

Artefact: Redshirts - John Scalzi
Trove: Paperback
Status: Released


Fieldnotes:
5 Redshirt Crewman
Deaths Too Numerous to Count (or Matter)
Several Near-Deaths that Should Have Been Deaths But Weren't (NOT KERENSKY!)
1 Magic(?) Box
1 Yeti-like Conspiracy Theorist
1 Instance of Time Travel
1 Bad TV Show
1 Meta Narrative
1 Overly Meta MIB-style Ending
3 Increasingly Weird Codas

The Short Version: Redshirts was actually a really entertaining read, poking fun at Star Trek (sure) but in a clever way. For a large part of the book, the meta aspects are really clever and very much up my alley - but then we hit a weird time travel/talk to the writers etc. thing that just got too strange (and not nearly as fun) for me. Ultimately, it was an entertaining read (although the "ending" seemed weird and almost sequel-baiting and then an odd fake-out cop-out...) but it's not one that has earned a permanent spot on my shelves.

The Long Version:
Redshirts is (obviously from both cover and title) a Star Trek-inspired spoof/meta-meditation. The spoof part is funny - Borgovian Landworms! - why were these not part of the security briefing when we were sending a landing party to Borgovia?! The meta-meditation, however, I only found entertaining up to a point.

Everything starts well enough - Andrew Dahl and his new-found buddies and new crewmembers find themselves of the Universal Union Fleet's flagship, the Intrepid - and they quickly notice that, as one of their number puts it: "everyone on this ship is massively f***ed up about away missions". All of the other crew members have accepted the insanity - they have a magic box that produces miracle-working solutions to impossible problems if high-up officers present the issue in an overly dramatic way, for example. They have names for phenomena they've witnessed (the Sacrificial Effect). Everyone attempts to avoid going to the bridge and interacting with the captain, the chief science officer or astrogater Kerensky. In short, everyone avoids The Narrative. Because when members of the crew are caught up in that, someone is likely to die. And it won't be Kerensky.

And all of that is ridiculously funny. After all, what would your life be like if you were living the life of an extra on a Star Trek like TV show? A lot of ducking and covering and trying to avoid dying. Plus apparently a lot of irrelevant backstory suddenly popping into your head and Narrative-necessary moments. But once this is figured out, there's still about half the book to go. And instead of sustaining this conceit (and having the crewmembers try to manipulate The Narrative or similar sci-fi conventions to land themselves a spin-off or something), Scalzi goes off the meta-deep end for me by having the characters go back in narrative time to confront the writers (and their actor selves) and discuss the dilemma with them. And that's about where I started losing interest. There was just too much meditating on writer's block and the consequences to characters and the story went from fun to overly involved way too quickly.

We ended the story proper with an even more meta MIB/Matrix style story within a story type suggestion and then followed with a cop-out ending. And an even more cop-out ending "take-back".

Let's not even discuss the three codas - each from a different POV (first, second and third in a (too?) clever twist) and looking at the situation from the current TV show producing present.

Where Scalzi is actually spoofing/riffing on Star Trek, he's funny and clever and I found the whole story entertaining and engaging, even. But where the story turned philosophical, I lost interest.

Artefact: Burn for Burn - Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Trove: Local library
Status: Seek Related Artefacts



Fieldnotes:
3 Young Ladies Out for Revenge
3 More-or-Less Deserving Victims
Several Instances of Bullying

1 Very Bad Best Friend
1 Jerk Jock (who kind of reminded me of Logan Echolls at his most obnoxious)
1 Major Class Divide
3 Instances of Possible Psychic(?) Powers
1 Prom People Are Bound to Remember

The Short Version: I absolutely tore through this one - it was decidedly addictive. I actually really enjoyed that there was a great deal of complexity. Both the protagonists and their revengees were shown with moments of nastiness and moments of vulnerability - enough to raise questions of whether the schemes are justified, whether they really help the girls feel better. I was taken aback by the Surprise!Psychic?Powers aspect. But I'm still hoping to get hold of the sequel because while the story didn't end on a cliff-hanger, it was definitely in the middle of action.

The Long Version:
Jar Island seems like it should be idyllic - small, picturesque and cut off from the mainland and its troubles. But three girls band together secretly to exact revenge for the wrongs inflicted by their classmates:

Kat has never forgiven her former best friend Rennie for ditching her (for the rich Lillia, no less) and treating her like trash because of her family's lack of money.

Lillia thought she had a great friendship going until her best friend is seen betraying her trust.

Mary is newly back on the island after bullying by the island's most popular charmer became too much for her in 7th grade. Now she's back with her strange artist aunt and trying to screw up her courage to confront her tormentor.

This was definitely an addictive read as the characters' backstories are slowly revealed in short chapters from each of their points of view and we're slowly sucked into the girls' plans for revenge, which begins simply and predictably enough with pranks designed to humiliate (although the sun screen thing was pretty bad, in my opinion), but they escalate into a really intense revenge scheme aimed at Reeve - and one that goes horrifically wrong due to one of the main characters' Surprise!Psychic?Powers (WHAT? Carrie? What are you doing in my Mean Girls?). Bits of the paranormal? element were sprinkled throughout, but in an "otherwise explicable" sort of way that meant I was really thrown for a loop during the big climactic scene.

What I did like about Burn for Burn was that it was more complex than your typical inner clique revenge story "bitchlit" YA stories (yes, Private, I'm looking at you!). Yes, the targets of the protagonists' revenge did some pretty horrendous stuff - Reeve's bullying, Rennie's self-centeredness and manipulations - but there are also clearly instances where the supposed slights were taken out of context and misinterpreted. Plus, although both Reeve and Rennie did some terrible things, they each showed a more vulnerable side as well that reminded us all that they're screwed up people, too. In fact, not necessarily that different from our misguided protagonists.

Artefact: Dance Upon the Air - Nora Roberts (Island Sisters Trilogy, Book 01)
Trove: Paperback
Status: Seek Connected Artefacts



Fieldnotes:
3 Witches (In Varying Degrees of Acceptance of Their Powers)
1 Prophecy of Potential Doom
1 Very Sexy Island Sheriff
1 Horribly Abusive Husband
1 Faked Death

1 Catering Business
Countless Delicious Meals
1 Very Silly Labrador
1 Adorable Kitten

The Short Version: Nora Roberts excels at writing comfortable reads for me. I liked the story (though was sometimes irritated with Zack), I enjoyed the paranormal witch element, and I loved the interaction between Nell, Mia (her boss and resident "out" witch) and Ripley (Zack's sister who has turned away from her powers). It was good to see Nell gaining strength and taking her life back - especially through something as tasty as a catering business, and I'm eager to read the next in the series to see who Mia and Ripley end up with!

The Long Version:
When Nell Channing turns up on tiny charming Three Sisters' Island off the New England coast, she finally feels safe. She decides to shrug off the past and the former life she's been running from and start building a present and a future on the island. She immediately finds herself drawn to Cafe Book - a combination bookstore and cafe owned by the proud local magic practitioner Mia - and, despite her wariness around law enforcement and men, to island sheriff Zack Todd.
But danger is drawing near and simple careless observations risk revealing Nell's secrets and her whereabouts to the abusive ex-husband who would never willingly let her go - a curse is coming to the island that only Mia (fire), Zack's non-believing sister Ripley (earth) and Nell (air) can break together.

I really enjoyed watching Nell lose her hunted wariness over the course of the novel. What happened to her in her marriage was terrible, but what I liked best about that storyline was Roberts' insistence that it doesn't only happen to "someone else", someone already vulnerable, someone from a difficult home life, someone stupid or someone weak. A lot of the time I think people (and in this and sexual assualt cases, women in particular) take comfort in the fact that if they don't fit certain stereotypes or behave in certain ways, abuse of this kind simply won't happen to them. I love that Roberts stands this on its head by having Nell be strong, driven and from a loving family and just getting into a relationship where she was in over her head. Where the "perfect couple" image was simultaneously too difficult to maintain and to difficult to shake. These things happen to good, strong people, too, and they need support, not condemnation.

And that is exactly what Mia provides. She's a warm, open (though somewhat sarcastic) mother-type figure, but one with a canny business sense. Mia's giving nothing away for free - but she helps provide Nell with a job, a home and a sense of independence without making her lose her fragile pride by having her accept charity. I really enjoyed their interactions. Once the paranormal elements are introduced with Mia being an experienced (and open) magic practitioner on the island, I was hooked. The descriptions of "kitchen magic" were great and reminded me a bit of the scenes in Practical Magic (the movie) when Sally finally accepts her magic. It was also charming how simply Zack accepts her abilities (though he has had Mia and at one point his sister around to break down his disbelief).

The scenes with Zack are generally nice - I like his "good-natured but don't mess with me" cop persona, but I got a bit annoyed with his sometimes too aggressive pursuit of an obviously vulnerable Nell. Plus when he got all sulky because she didn't immediately turn to him, confess all and have him fix everything, he irritated the heck out of me. This whole idea of a problematic power dynamic with an abuse survivor is apparently beyond him because it made *him* feel vulnerable and unloved to have *her* be independent just made him seem like a spoiled pouting toddler. It's not always about you, Zack... Thankfully, his irritating moments were fairly few and he generally let Nell take her time. Plus, he had a few lovely scenes with his lab, Lucy. And who doesn't fall a little bit for a guy and his dog?

I'm really looking forward to the next two books in the series, which should provide love interests (and hopefully more magic) for Ripley and Mia, respectively.

Artefact: Lost for Words - Lorelai Mathias
Trove: Local library
Status: Returned to Lender



Fieldnotes:
1 Bridget Jones-esque Editorial Assistant
1 Mystery Author Found on the Slush Pile
1 Commitmentphobic Cad
1 Charmingly Earnest Jack of All Trades
Several Very Bad Romantic Decisions
Way Too Many Meals at Pizza Express

The Short Version: Lost for Words was cute and fun to read, though not terribly memorable. I like novels/movies set at publishing houses for a little wish fulfilment. On the whole, though, the love triangle was pretty obvious, and I would have liked a bit more funny...

The Long Version:
Slave to the slushpile Daisy Allen life seems to be a bit off-track. Sure, she has a job as editorial assistant at a small publishing house, but writing constant rejection letters (no matter how unpublishable the manuscript) weighs on her sweet nature. And, of course, she hasn't yet found the Harry Potter-style bestseller on the slushpile that will launch her career. Her sometimes boyfriend(?), more often publishing industry contact (and thwarted author) Miles refuses to so much as commit to timing on a next date, much less contemplate the idea of an official "boyfriend" title. And Daisy spends more of her considerable editorial talent dissecting his emails and text messages rather than focusing on her job.

Until one day, Daisy gets an actually useful intern Elliot, who despite holding down more odd jobs than any one person should be able to sanely manage (including as a guide at a Bodyworlds style exhibit (ew)), AND she comes across something special in the slush pile - a romance story about missed connections that begins to sound oddly familiar.

This is a fun, light-hearted read with more than a few shades of Bridget Jones' Diary about it (though fewer and less hilarious adventures). Daisy is sweet and quite relatable, though a bit oblivious to things going on directly under her nose. I mean, (not really a spoiler because obvious, but for sensitive souls:OF COURSE, the mystery author is the adorable Elliot who has a thing for you and not your pompous dorkwad hook-up buddy Miles.

After a few weeks, though, all I really remember is an INCREDIBLY PRETENTIOUS dickMoleskine-measuring contest, a charming story about Spanish flamenco dancer postcards and the memory of FAR too many meals on-page in Pizza Express...

Wow, you are moving along just fine, Caramellunacy.

And I love Nora Roberts. They just suited for sultry summer evenings of reading in the garden.

I am proud to report that I deaccessioned 2 books today, which means as of right now, that I am officially even in terms of TBR at the beginning of the year as I have had 2 new acquisitions (both "finished my book on the train ride in and require read for commute home" related).

I don't think I'll be able to keep up the out-in ratio for very long, so I figured I'd report positive news while I could!

Hurray! :)

It's like that moment when the weather is 'temperatureless' isn't it? Not hot, not cold, just perfectly balanced. And then a gentle breeze starts blowing, the sun comes out from behind a cloud, and the next thing you know you're on your way out from a library bag sale with your arms too full of books to get the keys out of your pocket.

If there was a mixed metaphor contest, I think I just won it. Anyway, congratulations on your equilibrium. :)

Merryann - I love the mixed metaphors and I will bask in it (and the equilibrium) for its incredibly short duration!

Artefact: The Smile - Donna Jo Napoli
Trove: Paperback
Status: To be Determined - I'm a bit on the fence; I love fiction related to art and Renaissance Italy (especially Florence), but I'm not sure whether this has earned a permanent place on the shelves or not.



Fieldnotes:
3 Medici Sons (The Fool, The Wise, The Good)
1 Sanctimonious (but Influential) Friar
1 Significant Class Divide
1 Ingenious Famous Painter/Inventor

2 Teenagers Seeking to Choose Their Spouse
2 Funerals
3 Weddings
1 Mischievous Goat
1 Secret Betrothal

1 Famous Portrait

The Short Version:
The Smile is the tale of a teenager observing the turmoil of Renaissance Florence in the aftermath of Lorenzo de Medici's death and the rise of Savonarola - not to mention meeting Leonardo da Vinci (and eventually serving as the model for his most famous portrait). This was quite an interesting tale and there were certainly engrossing moments, but towards the end my emotional connection petered out.

The Long Version:
The title, as is evident from the cover illustration, refers to the fascinating feature of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous painting. The Italians call it La Gioconda after the surname of the lady thought to have posed for it. English-speaking tourists refer to it (in either awestruck or scornful tones) as the Mona Lisa.

For now, though, nobody calls the young daughter of one of Florence's prosperous silk merchants anything other than Betta. Nobody, that is, except the dashing Giuliano de Medici. The youngest son of Lorenzo il Magnifico is known throughout the Republic of Florence as the "good" brother, and although he and Betta are the same age, they rarely meet except for on special occasions (weddings and funerals) - when he charms an ever scarcer smile onto her face (including by giving her a mischievous young billy goat as a companion).

But smiles con't come easy in Florence at the time, and falling in love with a Medici is increasingly dangerous, no matter how "good" and no matter how handsome. The political situation is dicey at best. The banks are faltering and sanctimonious Savonarola preaches doom for the self-indulgence and moral decay of the Medici in the streets. Gangs of ruffians roam the streets+ and war, in the form of notoriously cruel French mercenaries are on Florence's doorstep.

There was a lot that I really enjoyed about Napoli's The Smile. Most of all, I loved the descriptions of the art (and as it generally remained only descriptions, working out which of the famous paintings I had studied was being referred to).

I loved seeing Betta's fascination with and dedication to the silk trade that her family relies on (even though it's not strictly proper). I loved her devotion to cooking hearty delicious meals to support her father and honor her mother. She was a young woman with strong drive and a lovely dedication to those she loved.

It was also interesting to watch Betta struggle with class divides - that which separated her from her childhood friend Silvia despite her attempts to hold on to that friendship, it becomes increasingly clear that there is too much resentment, a growing sense of entitlement on Silvia's side and too much guilt for it to be a healthy relationship despite the admirable loyalty Betta displays. But that is not Betta's only struggle. Despite her status as a noble, she is nonetheless a minor country noble - her father is a silk merchant, not a banker, and they do not fit in with the highest classes - including with the Medici.

There are definitely times when Betta's lack of a city upbringing or a city polish is a problem. When she ventures into the now dangerous streets of Florence without a care in the world and without understanding the changes that have taken place since Il Magnifico's death to transform what was a haven of art and culture into street filled with crime and lack of self-control. This (obviously) leads to trouble with a gang of young ruffians and she is only saved from harm by the protectiveness of Uccio the goat, who comes leaping (and ramming) to her defense in much-needed comic relief.

There is a (largely throwaway) scene in which two rich men are "practicing ways people only speak about in whispers, all out in the open". And what troubles me about this isn't that it shocks Betta, because I imagine it would. I would be fairly shocked to see people going at it in the daytime in the streets regardless of gender or persuasion. But I didn't like that this was shown as a symptom of the lawlessness and moral decay and degeneration of the once beautiful city. Not that this wasn't very much something put forth by Savonarola as the very thing he deplored, but it was jarring for me and I wondered at its inclusion (without commentary either from Betta or the priest but in pejorative context) rather than more traditional prostitution or rape (or perhaps in addition to), which would have gotten the point across equally well.

My main qualm about the story, though is that it is too reliant on Betta and Giuliano's romance. The menacing buildup of Savonarola as a self-righteous and dangerous priest determined to seize power is skin-pricklingly well done. (Don't look to this story for a balanced look at what Savonarola stood for and against as he is fairly clearly painted as a villain - though that suits me fine as I have a distinct dislike for the man despite his understandable issues with the questionable morals of the Borgia pope). However, once the eldest Medici son Piero is removed from power and Savonarola's reign of forced asceticism and excesses in austerity seizes Florence, there is little mention of the nastiness that follows - the bully boys who stole art, books and jewels from people's homes and from their persons if their clothing was deemed too rich; the bonfires of the vanities are only touched upon; and (much like under Cromwell) colors were deemed sinful. But all of this is glazed over, as is Savonarola's fall from grace. This is dramatic stuff and it would have been appreciated (after the gripping buildup) for this part of the story to receive the same treatment. Instead it is largely ignored until several years later when Leonardo da Vinci is back in town to paint Betta at Giuliano's behest.

Ever since my first art history class, Renaissance Florence - teeming with artists, architects, poets and politicians - has been fascinating for me. There's a whole section of my library that I am now eager to pick up again to keep myself immersed in the city (Brunelleschi's Dome, April Blood). So it shouldn't be surprising that Napoli's The Smile reminded me of a read-alike - Mary Jane Beaufrand's Primavera about a young noblewoman caught up in the mess of the Pazzi conspiracy when Lorenzo il Magnifico was young and who becomes the inspiration for Botticelli's masterpiece of the same name (which coincidentally also makes a cameo in The Smile).

For more art-related stories, I may grab I, Mona Lisa by Jeanne Kalogridis or David by Mary Hoffman; or I may decide to read up on the background in Fire in the City about Savonarola's rise (and fall). I'll definitely be browsing through the Uffizi's online collection to have a look at the paintings mentioned.

O, you are so balanced, CL!!!

I like the field notes on The Smile best of any so far. I think it's the mischievous goat that does it. :)

>28 connie53:, Connie - still am, grasping at it for a few more days!

>Merryann, mischievous goats do not feature in nearly enough novels... Uccio (the goat) was actually great fun to read about.

Artefact: The Fantastic Mr. Fox - Roald Dahl
Trove: Paperback
Status: Permanent Collection - a Wedding Present from my very own Mr Fox, so this one is going nowhere



Fieldnotes:
1 Fantastic Mr Fox (and Mrs Fox)
3 Nasty Farmers with Nutritional (and Hygiene) Deficiencies
4 Small Foxes
1 Grumpy Badger
1 Drunken Rat

1 Traumatic Tail Incident
1 Digging Contest
1 Excellent Feast

The Short Version:
A cute children's book in which a clever fox outsmarts a trio of nasty farmers and saves the day for digging critters. This was my first read and I loved the story (and the illustrations).

The Long Version:
Before yesterday I had never read ANY Roald Dahl. Yes, I know. No, I don't know how a bookish young me managed to miss them. At any rate, my Then-Fiance-Fox was so appalled at this revelation that as a wedding present he gave me his two childhood favorites (this and Danny Champion of the World) as well as Roald Dahl's autobiographical works Boy and Going Solo.

So when I was looking for a nice comfortable read yesterday evening, I grabbed the slenderest - The Fantastic Mr Fox and I now really only have one thing to say: My husband is a fantastic fox!

I loved the clever Mr. Fox and his excellent sense of direction, cringed delightedly at the impressions of the nasty farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean (ewwwww....) and was briefly upset over the traumatic tail incident. I just enjoyed the heck out of this quick read and the accompanying illustrations (that poor hill...). So much fun - this one is going directly on to our keeper shelf (because who needs to wait for Small Foxes for something this charming?).

I managed to miss out on Dahl as a kid too, other than The BFG, which a teacher read us, and reading The Witches in high school. I blame my parents for never bothering to recommend books (they saw I was reading all the time so didn't see the need to interfere). He's one I'm going to catch up on this year, so now I'm quite looking forward to The Fantastic Mr. Fox, thanks!

Hi mabith - thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoy Mr. Fox, too.

My equilibrium didn't last long as I wandered into a bookstore on Saturday and came back with five new books... ooops

You have tilted the balance the right direction!

Merryann - I'm certainly pleased with my shiny new purchases!

A strict one-in, one-out policy was never going to work (and I thankfully never planned on such a drastic measure) - I get such a morale boost out of buying new books!

My current plan is to keep working through books on the shelves and making sure to keep only the ones I may actually want to read again - and make sure to pass the others on to good homes. I love seeing all the potential great reading on my shelves, but I dread having to do a big cull if I run out of shelf space!

You know what I often think would be great? Shelves on the floor. The books go in, spine up. Bookends hold them upright, so they don't slant and hurt their bindings.

Then, panels of clear, strong, plastic cover them. More beautiful than any carpet, sound insulating properties, and to get to a book, you just open the panel that covers it. Plus, books can be heavy, and this way the weight is distributed evenly throughout the room. Or house.

And we'd be able to shelve that many more books!

Carpet/floor of books without fear of damage. Sounds amazing :)

I love the idea!!

Artefact: Firespell - Chloe Neill (Dark Elite, Book 01)
Trove: Local Library
Status: Seeking related artefacts



Fieldnotes:
1 Gothic Boarding School
1 Irritating Brat Pack
1 New BFF
1 Mysterious Headmaster

3 (or More?) Creepy Trips to the Basement
2 Magical Warring Factions
2 Handsome Boys (non-Triangle persuasion)
1 Backstory of LIES!
1 Odd Tattoo
Several Unexpected Magical Powers

The Short Version:
When her parents move to Germany on sabbatical, Lily Parker is sent to the creepily Gothic snobby private school St. Sophia's. But in addition to the usual prep school shenanigans with bitchy wealthy classmates, she discovers a struggle between magical factions taking place in the tunnels under Chicago. This was a fun read, but felt like pure set-up without much actual plot happening. Still I'm interested enough in Lily and Scout to keep an eye out for the next in the series.

The Long Version:
To come

Sounds good enough, but doesn't beat out the Mischievous Goat in my opinion.

The Mischievous Goat will be pretty tough to beat, I think. My current read has a Sulky Tame Black Leopard who is afraid of a Show-off Hawk Convinced of His Own Superiority, but there are still nowhere near the amount of animal shenanigans caused by that goat...

Artefact: Lord of the Nile - Constance O'Banyon (House of Tausret, Book 01)
Trove: Paperback
Status: Auction to Collector



Fieldnotes:
1 Irritatingly "Alpha" Roman General/Egyptian Nobleman/Bedouin Sheikh
1 Unbelievably Beautiful Animal-Tamer/Slave?/Secret Noblewoman?
1 Underutilized Sulky Black Leopard
1 Incredibly Intelligent Falcon

2 Rivals to the Throne of Egypt
Julius Caesar
2 Rivals for the Power Behind the Throne of Ptolemy
1 Doomed Cheetah Pawn in Power Games

1 Needlessly Complex Backstory
1 Plot-Complicating Piece of Jewelry
1 Seriously Sketchy Cousin/Would-be Rapist
1 Impressively Loyal Slave/Tutor

The Short Version:
I like ancient Egypt as a setting and I quite enjoyed the intrigue surrounding the throne of Egypt (though it got sadly short shrift for being such a central point), but the romance between Danae (HOW do you pronounce that?) and Lord Ramtat wasn't my cup of tea. He's very old-school alpha with lots of threatening and growling and hating himself for succumbing to her innocent wiles. She is super-special in every way (though she cries less and has somewhat more spine that your typical old-school heroine).

The Long Version:
To Come

So what happened to the leopard? Danae, if it's the Greek name (in Greek myth, she's the mother of Perseus), should be pronounced something like Duhnuh-ay.

>MissWatson

The leopard is introduced as the heroine's pet early on - she breaks out of her cage to be with Danae and generally acts like a giant housecat. But Danae flees into the desert, so for the next almost 200 pages, Obsidian is absolutely nowhere to be seen apart from occasional throwaway lines when Danae claims to miss her. And at the very end, Obsidian shows up again ready to play and getting in the way in true insouciant feline fashion.

I liked the leopard way more than either of the main characters, so I was pretty disappointed that she didn't get more page-time...

Thanks! Sounds like a rewrite would be in order to provide more page-time for the leopard. I used to do that sometimes when I was a kid and the book didn't live up to expectations.

Did you really? Wow, that's very cool!

lol! I love your Fieldnotes!

Sorry, I'm behind the game here... I need to spend some time with your field notes... at a quick glance, I'm already finding more books to be read!
And Congrats on your ROOTS success so far!!

Avanders - So glad you stopped by. I have a lot of fun with my fieldnotes (they help make even the crazy what-were-you-thinking books more fun to write about, if nothing else!)

I think I will finish my current read (Louise Erdrich's The Round House) today, but as I've gotten it from the library, it won't count as a root.

SO, my January total TBR Artefacts excavated is: 8

Exhibit of the month: The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Favorite Fieldnote: 1 Mischievous Goat (I'm sure Merryann will approve!)

January Artefacts Removed from Shelves: 2

Eight! Nice work! :)

Great work and very nice field notes. I enjoy reading them and usually have a pretty good idea if I'll like a book or not, when I'm done. Lord of the Nile probably won't show up in my TBR-pile!

I've had a very productive reading weekend - I finished off Louise Erdrich's The Round House on Friday (so listed under January above, though not a ROOT) and I spent the weekend reading two ROOTS: The War at Ellsmere by Faith Erin Hicks - a graphic novel set in a prestigious private school (kind of a Gilmore Girls' Chilton but with a crueller nemesis) - and Easy by Tammara Webber - a college-set sort-of romance with the main character trying to get/keep herself together after her high school boyfriend ditches her and she survives an attempted sexual assault. I enjoyed Easy far more than I expected I would given the heavy subject matter (I prefer my romances to be fluffier), but I found it very emotionally engaging (though perhaps a tad over the top).

-Fieldnotes on all three to come; as well as long reviews that are still outstanding... I couldn't spend all weekend reading/blogging - there was studying to be done and a Shakespeare play to see!

Artefact: The Round House - Louise Erdrich
Trove: Local Library
Status: Returned



Fieldnotes:
1 (or is it 2?) Horrible Crime
3 Possible Jurisdictions leads to 0 Prosecutions
1 Inept Investigation
4 Teenaged Boys Playing Hardy Boys (and Star Trek) on the Reservation
1 Wiindigo

1 Best Friend
1 Storytelling Grandfather
1 Missionary/Youth Encounter Christ Girl
1 Pretty Cool Priest (Former Marine)
1 Adoptable Baby

1 Strong Tribal Community
Several Bouts of Alcoholism/Underage Drinking/Drug Use
Domestic Violence
2 Betrayals
3 Deaths

The Short Version: To begin with, this novel reminded me quite a bit of a mixture of To Kill a Mockingbird and Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. While I was very intrigued by the legal jurisdiction issue (which had a very Grisham/A Time to Kill feel to it and I loved the sense of tribal community and Mooshum's stories, ultimately the meandering storylines lost the emotional connection I had to the story about half-way through.

The Long Version:
To Come

Artefact: The War at Ellsmere - Faith Erin Hicks
Trove: Graphic Novel (Paperback)
Status: Auction to Collector



Fieldnotes:
1 Swanky Private Boarding School
1 Snarky New Scholarship Student
1 Space Cadet Roommate (Sweet Variety)
1 Nasty Nemesis (Mean Girl Persuasion)

1 Local Lore with Elements of TRUTH
1 Surprise!Paranormal Twist

The Short Version:
A kind of Gilmore Girls' Chilton with a nastier nemesis, I really enjoyed The War at Ellsmere until the weirdly deus ex machina paranormal element (which I found jarring as not well signposted).

The Long Version:
Juniper is the brand new scholarship student at the prestigious private boarding school, Ellsmere Academy. She is driven and determined to focus only on her academics - not on making friends. But when a group of snotty mean girls start picking on her space cadet roommate Cassie, Juniper unleashes her snark and gains a new friend - and a nasty nemesis.

Emily is the Queen Bee of Ellsmere Academy and has no doubt of her superiority over a mere scholarship student. But Juniper soon adjusts to the more rigorous academics and begins to challenge Emily's top spot. And the war begins - what begins with typical boarding school pranks turns nasty with fisticuffs and accusations of plagiarism. Until the war abruptly ends with a trip into the forbidden forest on the grounds (yes, shades of Harry Potter here) and the fulfillment of a local Ellsmere legend.

I'm pretty much a beginner in the graphic novel world and have yet to really find my niche, but I do like boarding school stories (especially with plucky scholarship students holding their own), so I picked up The War of Ellsmere. The artwork reminded me a great deal of Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life with the characters' enormous eyes and otherwise blocky features. This isn't my favorite style, but I thought it suited the high school environment quite well and I did find the characters' faces very expressive.

Story-wise, this is largely a fairly predictable boarding school rivalry tale until the oddly unsignposted paranormal twist at the end that ends the "war". I don't mind fantasy in my stories, but the novel that seemed to have its feet firmly planted in reality and the sudden leap to myth/paranormal was surprising (and not in a clever, happy way). I found the ending very abrupt and jarring. After all, Cassie (who has been ridiculed for her belief in crazy conspiracy theories like alien abductions) TOLD us the legend of Ellsmere with a white deer - which at the end she insists was always a unicorn. Just like the one they encounter who threatens Emily (why?) and makes everything all better (how? what?).

So if you're telling a legend of local folklore, WHY change it to be more mundane and then add a suprise twist? I might have been willing to follow the author down that path if the legend had laid it out from the start, but, as is, it seems like lazy revisionist storytelling. "Oh! That? It was that all along, I just didn't TELL you. SURPRISE! The End." And I felt cheated as a reader, not charmed.

Artefact: Easy - Tammara Webber
Trove: Paperback
Status: Temporary Collection (to be determined whether this should join the permanent collection - I am leaning towards yes)



Fieldnotes:
1 Self-Absorbed (Ex)Boyfriend
1 Missed Economics Midterm
1 Flirtatiously Emailing Tutor

1 Frat Boy Who Doesn't Understand No
1 Rescuer with Shining Lip Ring (Sexy Variety)
1 Gutsy Roommate/Best Friend
1 Incredibly Tragic Backstory
1 Empowering Self-Defense Class

The Short Version:
Going in to Easy, I knew nothing about it other than that it had been a bit of a New Adult sensation. Had I known more about the plot (which involves attempted sexual assault), I probably wouldn't have picked this up because I find books that deal with it uncomfortable. But I was very engaged with Webber's Easy and am very glad I read it. Not sure whether it's a keeper yet (leaning towards, yes), but it was definitely a good read.

The Long Version:
To come

OOooh I've been very curious about The Round House ... looking forward to your long review!

Speeding right along in my reading - I finished another ROOT in the doctor's waiting room this morning. Sadly my long reviews have not been keeping pace... That'll be on the coming weekend's agenda!

Artefact: Dance of Shadows - Yelena Black (Dance of Shadows, Book 01)
Trove: Paperback
Status: (Archaeological) Rubbish Heap (fear not fellow bibliophiles, this will go to some used bookstore or library donation)



Fieldnotes:
1 Determined and Talented Dancer (NOT here for the dancing...)
1 Elite Dance Academy
3 Excellent Friends (non-catty variety)
2 Mysterious Boy Love Interests (Creepy Variety), including
1 ZEPPELIN GRAY - he has metallic gray eyes (is that even a possible thing?) and his name is ZEPPELIN (HOW is that a thing?)
1 Catty (Ex?)Girlfriend

13(?) Missing Lead Ballerinas, including
1 Elder Sister and 1 Friend
1 Missing Diary
1 Unnecessarily Weird Hazing Ritual

1 Unbelievably Creepy Rehearsal Space
1 Bizarre Difficult Demon Summoning Ritual Dance (okay, that may be a spoiler, but it was also INCREDIBLY obvious from the Prologue)
2 Sinister Necrodancers (yes, that is what they are called)
1 Secret Library
1 Demon

The Short Version:
Sadly - not enjoyable bad. Just...not good.
WTF book? I mean, I knew from the prologue that this would be a weird paranormal ballet book (interesting concept!), but book - once you've shown me this in the prologue when a dancer IS INCINERATED, you can't go all coy with hundreds of pages of exposition before you get to the DEMON-SUMMONING! The pacing was off, the premise weird, don't ask me about the creepy Love?Triangle with the creepy boys, and if Vanessa told everyone ONE more time that she wasn't really there for the DANCING... my eyes will roll so hard they will be STUCK LIKE THAT.

The Long Version:
To come

Wow. If paranormal dance becomes a regular genre, I don't know what that's a harbinger of.

Necrodancers?! Oh my. Looking forward to your long review of that one!

>Mabith - harbinger of demons, apparently? What can I say, I have a soft spot for dance books (and TV and movies), so I was actually kind of pleased at the possibility...but NO MORE

>rabbitprincess - NECRODANCERS. It's a little tiny bit brilliant and a whole lot ridiculous.

No new ROOTs to report - my current commuting read is Because of Low by Abbi Glines - it's very apparent to me that this must be part of a series because we keep being introduced to people (Marcus' friends; the band; Marcus' ex-love interest) that we're clearly supposed to know already and it's odd.

On the whole I'm not enjoying it much. Marcus is patronizing and kind of a jerk. Willow seems to generally be ok with everyone around her dictating her life (Cage, Tawny, Marcus - because he's cute) and is a manic pixie dreamgirl extraordinaire - good hearted and sweet with a troubled background and every man everywhere drooling over the possibility of taking her home to mama to marry. It's just...ick?

So yesterday I picked something different for my evening read - sports romance Hot Number by Carly Phillips. I read her Hot Property (later in the same series) years ago and remember enjoying it a lot.

Sounds rough.. some series, you can come in the middle and enjoy it. But it's frustrating (annoying) when a series is so dependent on the prior books... You have my permission to let that one go ;)

Yes, I'll second that!

Long reviews for Dance Upon the Air and Lost for Words finally up, and am hoping to fill in a few more over the course of today...

Artefact: Marvel's Pride & Prejudice - The Graphic Novel - adapted by Nancy Butler
Trove: Paperback (Graphic Novel)
Status: Permanent Collection



Fieldnotes:
1 Smart, Somewhat Headstrong Heroine (Led Astray by First Impressions)
1 Overly Sweet Elder Sister
1 Handsome but Aloof Moneyed Gentleman (with Rather Too Much Pride)
1 Overly Amiable/Pliable Best Friend

1 Dastardly Young Man
3 Very Silly Ill-behaved Sisters
OFFICERS!
1 Very Snotty Sister
1 Mother with Nerves Much Maligned
1 Pompous Clergyman
1 Condescending Patroness
1 Really Swanky House in Derbyshire

Pretty, Pretty Artwork
5 Girls' Magazine Style Covers
1 Pair of REALLY TIGHT BREECHES

The Short Version:
An adaptation of one of my favorite novels that makes it oh-so-pretty to look at. It was definitely a nice quick run-through of Pride & Prejudice that hit upon the high points of the story (mostly Austen's text), though I missed some of my favorite lines, as would be expected.

The Long Version:
To Come

I am so amused that we've basically reinvented the Classics Illustrated comics of my dad's youth (or that they're having a slight vogue again, at least).

Mabith - I do love a good adaptation; I have a few manga shakespeare sitting on my shelves that I really ought to look into!

Artefact: Because of Low - Abbi Glines (Sea Breeze, Book 02)
Trove: E-book
Status: To be Consigned to Rubbish Heap



Fieldnotes:
1 Self-Righteous Spoiled Rich Boy with Problems Not Being a Paternalistic Jerk
1 ManicPixieDreamGirl with Abandonment Issues, a Fluid Housing Situation and Complete Disregard for Her Supposedly Important Scholarship
1 Unhealthily Dependent Relationship with the SequelBait ManWhore Next Door
1 Panic Attack over Missing Jarritos (Yes, the soda; yes, I'm Serious)

1 Philandering Father
1 Wilting Flower Mother Incapable of Existing without a Man Telling Her What to Do
1 Uncomfortable Family Dynamic Portrayed as Loving and Supporting
1 Homewrecker Sister
1 Adorable Toddler

Too Many Fits of Misogynist Rage
Too Many Chips on Too Many Shoulders
Too Many Ogling Stares
Too Many Awkwardly Mischosen Words/Typos
Too Few Backbones

The Short Version:
Definitely not for me. I didn't like this story one bit. Marcus came across as a spoiled jerk who seems to think he has the right to control everyone around him and who blames absolutely everyone for things they had no actual control over and never himself. Low has a weird unhealthy relationship with her best friend Cage, has no problem with everyone leering at her and letting Cage/Marcus/her sister Tawny tell her what to do, abandonment issues and a tendency to run crying to Cage to fix everything at the drop of a hat. I spent the entire book typing angry all caps notes in the margins for both characters to GROW UP ALREADY.

The Long Version:
To Come

I think your fieldnotes are hilarious!!

Thanks Connie, I have a great time trying to boil down what I really thought about a book concisely like that!

I've posted the long review for The War at Ellsmere above. I'm slowly catching up!

keep up the good work reading!

Today's been quite a day for finishing ROOTs - on this morning's commute I finally finished Because of Low (which I had found myself avoiding because I was irritated with it - one of these days I will learn to just give up on books that aren't meant for me). During lunch, I managed to finish Don't Run Whatever You Do, which I had picked up this weekend to avoid reading Because of Low! Two more off the TBR pile!

Artefact: Don't Run Whatever You Do - Peter Allison
Trove: Paperback
Status: Pass Along to Other Interested Archaeologists



Fieldnotes: (an apt description in this case!)
1 Enthusiastic Safari Guide with Bouts of Poor Judgment
1 Wildlife Reserve in Botswana
1 Self-Deprecating Sense of Humor
2 Drowned Land Rovers
3 Men Lost in a Boat

Lions and Cheetahs and Elephants (Oh My!)
2 Apt Nicknames
Several Funny Vignettes
Scattered Poignant Ruminations

The Short Version:
Content to poke fun at himself, Peter Allison tells stories of his (mis)adventures as a safari guide in Botswana. It's a fun campfire story sort of book and a quick read. Pete openly admits that his own poor judgment was at fault in several situations, so I never quite wanted him to be eaten/trampled for being an idiot (which is more than I can say for a lot of these memoirs). I'd read more of his adventures and it did make me want to go on safari.

The Long Version:
To Come

When I got done chuckling over fieldnotes, and actually read the review I can clearly see why this book would wash the taste of the other, horrible one, out of your mouth. It sounds quite good!

Merry, I really enjoyed it - it's a lot of individual vignettes rather than a cohesive memoir, so it was nice to pick up even if you only had a little bit of time to read. Even though a lot of his crazy stories are due to his own ill thought through plans or ignoring what he knows he should do, he acknowledges this and his love for nature definitely shines through... though I'm not sure I'd want him behind the wheel of my Land Rover if I were on safari!

Long LONG review of Napoli's The Smile posted. I really enjoyed the first two-thirds of the book, but I thought the book petered out leaving a good chunk of interesting subject matter unexplored.

Ooh... Now I also need to read the graphic novel interpretation of pride and prejudice!
... Another for the wish list...

Ava - definitely a fun take on it. The art is awfully pretty - though this adaptation (due to space constraints I'm sure) didn't really make me see the attraction in Wickham (*curse his sudden but inevitable betrayal!*)

So this weekend, on a whim, I restacked my paperbacks (they're stacked in built-in shelves to better use the space) according to color - they kind of melt into one another to form a rainbow :). They're kept between my two floor to ceiling windows in the living room - and it looks pretty!

It helped that my books haven't been in any kind of order since I moved house almost two years ago. Unpacking the boxes and getting rid of them took precedence over organizing my library properly, and I haven't had the time (or the floor space) to do a section-by-section organization and get everything together. So I have sacrificed nothing in "findability" but it looks nice :)

Adding picture:

Artefact: The Tiger Warrior - David Gibbins (Jack Howard, Book 03)
Trove: Paperback
Status: Seek Connected Artefacts (after a rest break)



Fieldnotes:
2 Intrepid Adventurers (Present-Day Variety)
1 Love Interest (Archaeological Variety)
1 Recently Acquired Daughter (Research Assistant Variety)
1 Lost Roman Legion/Prisoners of War
1 Chinese Secret Society
Innumerable Unrealistic (Yet Fascinating) Info-Dump History Lectures

2 Intrepid Adventurers (Victorian Variety)
1 Ill-Thought Out Tax
1 Nasty Rebellion
3 Rather Horrific Sacrifices
Malaria

1 Sunken Elephantegos (elephant ship)
1 Ship full of Gold Bullion (Imperial Roman variety)
Several Potsherds of Significance
1 Incongruously Sculpted Temple
1 Unexcavated Mountain Tomb
1 Broken Tiger-Gauntlet Sword
2 Jewels of Immortality (separated)

The Short Version:
Vaguely similar to Clive Cussler's early work in set-up, but the action-adventure in this dragged for me. The main character seems to spend all of his time lecturing his kid/coworkers/anyone who will listen about different historical eras and artefacts. Luckily, I found the actual content and presentation of those history lectures fascinating - just not the adventure bits that were meant to tie them together.

The Long Version:
To Come

Love to see the Picture!

Me too. I bet it's beautiful.

echo! would love to see the pic :)

Me too on the picture!

Thanks all! I'll make sure to hassle the spouse-creature (AKA the Keeper of Photos) tonight - had to work late yesterday :(.

I did, however, manage to finish up yet another ROOT last night and I hope to snag some time to post fieldnotes today.

Artefact: Smart Girls Get What They Want - Sarah Strohmeyer
Trove: Paperback
Status: Auction to Deserving Collector



Fieldnotes:
3 Smart Girl Best Friends, with
No Ranking on
1 Unhygienic and Vaguely Misogynistic Popularity Indicator
3 Fears of Failure to Be Perfect
2 Handsome Love Interests
2 Long-Term Unattainable(?) Crushes

1 Unfair Cheating Policy
1 Team-Building Science Project
1 Romeo and Juliet Audition
1 Student Representative Election
1 Ski Team Race

The Short Version:
I probably needed this book in high school - I was a nerdy overachiever who probably seemed far more aloof and snobby than I wanted to be (not that I didn't want to be aloof from some of the madness - as Kat says in 10 Things I Hate About You: "Have you SEEN the unwashed miscreants who go to that school?"). But while it's a pleasant read with interesting family dynamics and a main character whose devotion to her friends was laudable, it didn't really resonate for me.

The Long Version:
To Come

>82 Caramellunacy: Wow. That's a lot of ingredients for just one book!

Henrik - agreed! The author linking a Roman legion lost in a battle in Asia Minor, the tomb of the First Emperor in China (of terracotta warrior fame) and the Madras Sappers from Bangalore, India took a lot of odd connections (including WWII-era Soviet snipers and Afghani tribal leaders)!

I get confused just reading that last post!

{{giggle}} me too...

As editing the top of the thread doesn't seem to be working, as a quick update, I've finished ROOTs 17 and 18.

The Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots by Carolly Erickson
Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle

Touchstones aren't working either...

Oh, wow, 18 ROOTs already. That's a good run!

>93 Caramellunacy: so it's not just me!
Congrats on your ROOTS!!

Good job, Caramellunacy!

Yes, congratulations! Better Nate than Ever...what a book title! Was it good?

A bit late, and a lot of catching up to do after travelling much of last week, but here's my February roundup:

February total TBR Artefacts excavated is: 10

Exhibit of the month: Easy by Tammara Webber

Favorite Fieldnote: 2 Sinister Necrodancers

February Artefacts Removed from Shelves: 0 (must work on this)

Congrats on your ROOT success!

Great choice for favourite fieldnote!

Things have been pretty crazy with work, travel and a lot of paperwork to be dealt with. So while I haven't had much of a chance to update the thread here, I HAVE at least been reading.

So far in March, I've finished 3 Roots:
In the Woods by Tana French, spurred on by a number of others reading and discussing on their own threads. I was surprised (pleasantly) by it and am eager to pick up the next in the series.

Remarkable by Lizzie K. Foley - a children's book about a place where absolutely everyone is remarkable except our main character Jane. There are pirates and a lake monster (hotly contested by Scotland's Loch Ness) and quite a bit of jam/jelly.

A Lady's Guide to Improper Behavior by Suzanne Enoch - an enjoyable romance about a propriety-obsessed popular heroine (and anonymous author of an etiquette guide!) who is drawn to a disgraced wounded colonel whose claims of ambush by the Thuggee in India are being dismissed as attention-seeking nonsense. Not my favorite Enoch, but I liked it.

You're doing nicely on the reading front!

And the books of Tana French are really very good. So just keep on reading them!

Artefact: The Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots - Carolly Erickson
Trove: Paperback
Status: To be sold to collector



Fieldnotes:
1 Doomed Queen
3 Unpleasant Husbands
(2 Intentionally Vile; 1 of the Twu Wuv Robin Dudley-Style Persuasion)
1 Jewel-Encrusted, Beribboned Codpiece (our Hero, ladies and gentlemen...)
1 Wife Won as a Gambling Debt (Unwanted Variety)
1 Outlaw of Dubious Loyalty
1 Confusing Murder
1 Barely Foiled Gunpowder Treason and Plot
Countless Hotheaded Rebellious Scots
Several Battles

2 English Imprisonments
1 Secret Meeting with Elizabeth I
1 Trip to Rome with No Basis in Fact
1 Useless Defender of Catholicism
Too Many Self-Serving Comparisons of Mary's Pretty Fecundity with Elizabeth's Barrenness
1 Secret Love-Child (WTF is up with QUEENS with secret love-children; how exactly was THAT supposed to work?)

The Short Version:
To Come

The Long Version:
To Come

Artefact: Better Nate Than Ever - Tim Federle (Nate Foster, Book 01)
Trove: Paperback
Status: Temporary Exhibit



Fieldnotes:
1 Set of ET the Musical Auditions
Broadway!
1 Bullied Musicals Obsessed 13-year-old of Undecided Sexuality
1 Cross-Town Rival with a Stage Mother Extraordinaire
1 Repurposed Monologue
2 Sets of Ill-Fitting Clothes
Several Musical Flop Inspired Curses

1 Surprise! Estranged Aunt
1.01 Greyhound Trips
1 Actor Roommate
Family Drama

The Short Version:
To come

The Long Version:
To Come

Artefact: In the Woods - Tana French (Dublin Murder Squad, Book 01)
Trove: Paperback
Status: To be Kept in Case Files



Fieldnotes:
Ireland
1 Budding Ballerina
1 Identical Twin
1 Tragically Vulnerable Elder Sister (Boy Catnip)
2 Rather Bad Parents
1 Dysfunctional Family
1 Archaeological Site about to be Demolished by Progress

1 Effortless Partnership
2 Troubled Pasts
1 Summer of Lost/Repressed Traumatic Memories
1 Unofficial Profiler (with Psychopath Experience)
Several Shady Land Deals
Countless Bottles of Wine

1 Cold Case
2 Pre-Teen Disappearances
Too Much Blood
1 Hidden Rape

The Short Version:
To Come

The Long Version:
To Come

You're almost half done -- Congrats!!

Artefact: Remarkable - Lizzie K. Foley
Trove: Hardback
Status: Pass on to Beginning Archaeologist



Fieldnotes:
1 Ordinary Girl
2 Trouble-Making Twins
1 Self-Involved Genius Artist in Crush
1 Missing Composer
1 Lake Monster
Several Jars of Generic Jam
Pirate Lessons
2 Secret Identities

The Short Version:
To Come

The Long Version:
To Come

Artefact: A Lady's Guide to Improper Behavior - Suzanne Enoch (The Adventurer's Club, Book 02)
Trove: Paperback
Status: Temporary Exhibit



Fieldnotes:
1 Wounded Hero with a Badly Healing Leg
1 Anonymous Author of an Etiquette Guide Heroine
1 Secret Sequel Bait Club
Dancing and Charm as Social Weaponry
Several Improper Situations

1 Unconventional Butler with a Sweet Tooth
1 Cat-Crazed Grandmama (Battle-Axe Variety)
1 Childhood Trauma
1 Horrific Thuggee Ambush
1 Forced Encounter with Wellington
1 Kidnapping
1 Reputation-Saving Editorial

The Short Version:
To Come

The Long Version:
To Come

Artefact: Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell
Trove: Paperback
Status: Auction to Deserving Collector



Fieldnotes:
1 Set of Identical Twins
1 Socially Anxious Heroine
1 Sibling Breakup
1 Scatterbrained Father with Mental Health Issues
1 Absentee Mother Interested in Getting to Know the Kids
1 Endtable High School Boyfriend
2 Hospital Visits
Alcohol Abuse

1 Brusque Roommate
1 Offhandedly Sunny Boy Friend with Focus Issues
1 Cache of Protein Bars

1 Writing Partner
1 Creative Writing Upper Level Course
1 Intense Fanfiction with Followers and Responsibilities
1 Ostrich with Its Head in the Sand Syndrome

The Short Version:
To Come

The Long Version:

Artefact: The Accounting Game - Judith Orloff and Darrell Mullis
Trove: Paperback
Status: To Be Kept in the Lab



Fieldnotes:
1 Fictional Lemonade Stand
1 Workbook Format
Accounting Principles Broken Down
1 Certificate of Completion (Yay!)

The Short Version:
I worked through this on the recommendation of one of my colleagues (made eons ago) to help get a better grasp on how accounting works on a very basic level. I enjoyed this, but I could have used a few additional exercises/workbook problems to feel like I had practiced a concept enough to be able to remember it and employ it later on. (I was that irritating kid who always LIKED the tricky workbook problems because they were puzzly.)

Artefact: Finders Keepers - Linnea Sinclair
Trove: Paperback
Status: To be Passed Along to another Space Explorer



Fieldnotes:
1 Feisty Independent Short-Haul Freighter Captain (Called an "Air Sprite")
1 Borderline Despotic Moustachioed Imperial Senior Captain (Nicknamed Tivahr the Terrible)
1 Talkative Tarnished Droid (Not At All Modeled on C3-PO...)
1 Stuffed Toy
Several Sadly Underutilized Crew Members

1 Intergalactic Conpiracy
1 Ruthless Enemy Alien Group
1 Spoiled Rich Accoutant Man-Child Ex-Boyfriend
1 Set of Ancient Star-Charts
Several Hacker Programmes

The Short Version:
To Come

The Long Version:

You have been on a roll! Can't wait to see the long versions!

>113 MissWatson: me too!

>110 Caramellunacy: Having recently read Fangirl, I got a nice chuckle out of your field notes :)

I am in absolute awe of the sheer number of books you are reading, and the depth of your reviews! :)

By no means do I want to discourage you from writing the short and long versions of your reviews, but I actually - and perhaps mistakenly - think I got a pretty good idea about the books' qualities just from the fieldnotes. They are great!

I like the book with the certificate of completion! Maybe some really big, daunting novels should come with those as well. "This certifies that the bearer has completed Ulysses." :)

Henrik - I don't think you're mistaken at all. I have a lot of fun with the fieldnotes and try to make them properly represent my impression of the book in question. Plus it's easier to poke fun at some of the ridiculousness (I'm looking at you, Necrodancers!) I'm glad you're enjoying them! They serve as helpful memory jogs when I go back to write the short and long reviews as well...

rabbitprincess - Ooh, can I get a certificate of completion for Anna Karenina :)! They definitely should start including those.

>117 Henrik_Madsen: >119 Caramellunacy: I was thinking as I read the field notes that they, by themselves, are enough to make me want to read (or in some cases not read) the book. You make them so interesting that I want to get the book and find out why there are several jars of generic jam in that book.

lol - I once again agree w/ Mary Ann! ;)

Hello all!

Sorry to have disappeared so completely, but have been drowning at work plus a lot of travel time has meant I haven't had much time to catch up on my fieldnotes. You will (hopefully) be pleased to hear that there have been many more artifacts observed in the past few months, so there should be a plethora of new fieldnotes over the weekend (if all goes well)!

This post is largely to update my tickers for the end of April with my total (as I've just started Connie Willis' Blackout and there is no way I am going to finish the remaining 500 pages tonight!) to 38.

So the reading target is moving along nicely - but my goal for myself included completing my fieldnotes/reviews for each, so there's certainly catching up to do!

Ahh, work. Wouldn't life be wonderful if we didn't have to make time for earning our daily crust?

Looking forward to hearing about the artifacts you've observed, and hope they've been nice ones! :) Also, 38! Nice work!

Wow you're 3/4 done!!! Congratulations on that!
And Agree w/ Miss Watson, jobs-schmobs... ;)

>122 Caramellunacy: Good job, Caramellunacy! Looking forward to the fieldnotes!

For a trip to Spain this past weekend, I've immersed myself in a few Spanish-set books. I finished I, Juan de Pareja about a slave to the court painter Velazquez and am in the middle of Theresa Breslin's Prisoner of the Inquisition (a YA novel about two teens caught up in the vagaries and revenge-fuelled plots of the Spanish Inquisition and The Lost Diary of Don Juan about the legendary lover/seducer (who was just almost gored by a bull) who is about to run into trouble with the Inquisition himself.

Love it! Enjoy Spain!

Artefact: Violet on the Runway - Melissa Walker (Violet on the Runway, Book 01)
Trove: Paperback
Status: Current Collection



Fieldnotes:
1 Gawky Teenager
1 Dead-End Movie Job with a Goofy Uniform
1 "Discovery"
1 Whirlwind Makeover Trip to NYC
Fashion

1 Grin that Lights Up the Runway
1 Frenemy Colleague
Fair Weather Fame-Related Friends
The Dangers of Popularity/Fame
1 Hipster Friend-zoned Love Interest
1 Self-Serving Club Promoter
Too Much Champagne (I suppose there is such a thing)
Recreational Drug Use/Eating Disorders

The Short Version:
An America's Next Top Model-type story, but less sanitized. It shows the glamour of the modeling world, but also the bad decisions, bad influences and difficulties of young ladies with iffy self-esteem being thrown into the superficial, fame-driven fashion world on their own. Violet goes off the rails a bit, but not in a way that compromises her good heart and good sense overly much. I did think the entire Roger angle was melodramatic (and occasionally wanted to smack Violet for doing dumb stuff), but fun in a CW-show type way.

The Long Version:
To Come

Artefact: Violet by Design - Melissa Walker (Violet on the Runway, Book 02)
Trove: Paperback
Status: Current Collection



Fieldnotes:
BRAZIL!
Spain!
1 Handsome Brazilian Designer
Modeling with a Moral Stance
Hypocrisy (in the Fashion industry! SHOCKING!)
Eating Disorder
Terribly Naive (Social) Media Choices

More Friend than Enemy?
(Still) Friend-Zoned Hipster Love Interest
Yet Jealousy

The Short Version:
I really enjoyed seeing Violet get the chance to travel internationally for her career. I admired her conviction once she decided to take a moral stand - and her devotion to her frenemous rival Veronica. But I just wanted to smack her upside the head for her reaction to the smarmy Paolo and her idiocy in posting rants online sparking SEVERAL PR disasters. Much as I wanted to hate her agent for being controlling and sometimes harsh, she seriously had the patience of a saint not to drop Violet like a hot potato in favor of less troublesome clients.

The Long Version:
To Come

Artefact: Dancing in Red Shoes Will Kill You - Dorian Cirrone
Trove: E-book
Status: Languishing in the Corps



Fieldnotes:
1 Ballerina with Very Large Breasts Inhibiting Her Career
1 Arts School
1 Performance of Cinderella
1 Bitchy Ballerina Rival
1 New (Cute) (Straight) Boy
Several Red Pointe Shoes with Cryptic Messages
Overexcited Arts Students Reading Too Much Into Things

1 Contemplated Breast Reduction Surgery
1 Interesting Art Project About Body Image/Censorship sparking
1 Censorship Firestorm

The Short Version:
Not a hugely memorable story. I liked the message in Kayla (the main character)'s sister's art project, but thought the mystery was a bit simplistic. There were some funny bits, but overall I wasn't hugey impressed with the execution.

The Long Version:
To come

I'm meant to be heading off to Wales tomorrow and am now digging through my stacks to see if I have anything particularly fitting for the trip. I think I have Brothers of Gwynedd by Edith Pargeter somewhere in the house, but would like something a little lighter as well in case I get bogged down!

At least that last book has a pretty amazing cover, even if the writing didn't live up to it!

Have a nice time in Wales!
Loved your fieldnotes! They always make me smile!

Hope the trip goes well and that you found suitable reading material!

Oh Wales, it's been too long since I was there! Hope you have a wonderful time!

It was gorgeous - we spent a day poking around Conwy Castle and Plas Mawr, an Elizabethan manor and the rest visiting with family. We even had a look at some Neolithic burial chambers - all of which was fascinating. Lots of driving through these gorgeous dramatic mountains, with a peek at Snowdon. Plus there were sheep everywhere complete with gambolling lambs.

I ended up taking Brothers of Gwynedd but not being in the mood for it - instead I ended up starting A String in the Harp about a boy who has visions of the Welsh bard Taliesin. It ended up being a good choice, because the train journey almost matched up and some of the legends that my step-father-in-law told me ended up being echoed in the book (eerie and cool). A good long weekend, but back to work now, I'm afraid.

So way up-thread I mentioned I had re-stacked my books by color as a bit of a fun way to liven up an afternoon (and to use up the space in those shelves more efficiently).

And finally! I have uploaded a picture:

Pretty!

Nice! Also, awww, gambolling lambs! So cute!

oooh I *love* your re-stacked books! So pretty!
And your trip to Wales sounds lovely!

I love the colourful bookcase! It looks really very pretty. But can you find your books when you need to?

Connie - the colorful bookcase is a temporary measure (it only hold some of my mass-market paperbacks) until I get my act together and actually sort my books - which I usually do by genre. In the meantime, this looks nice and it's no more difficult to find anything than when I just threw everything on the shelves :).

Plus it helps throw a little serendipity into my reading. I think I'll try a green one today!

I've been flitting from book to book this weekend without concentrating much. It doesn't help that I've had a very busy few weeks at work (with a looming nasty presentation that is stressing me significantly) with weekends devoted to fun but exhausting travel (Spain/Wales) as well as visitors from out-of-town.

Not to mention that I'm trying to get everything squared away before I travel back to visit my parents - the two-week vacation will be great, but getting everything ready isn't exactly conducive to relaxing.

So I keep picking books up and putting them down mid-way. I started Elizabeth Hoyt's Wicked Intentions, got sidetracked with Neptune Noir - a series of essays on the TV show Veronica Mars, was distracted from that by finishing my Wales-trip-inspired book about Taliesin the bard called A String in the Harp (which I actually managed to do).

I put off doing the work I had to finish over the weekend by speeding through the last in the JAG in Space novels Against all Enemies (which was a weaker installment than the previous) and have now started TV-tie in Heat Wave (ostensibly) by Richard Castle - a favorite TV sleuth of mine and amusing as the characters are clearly re-enacting dynamics from the show.

>144 Caramellunacy: sounds like summer.... ;)

I've been reading Sophie Kinsella's The Undomestic Goddess and the first 30 or so pages are frighteningly my life...

I know that feeling! Fortunately, I read it about 30 days after I'd left that life..... maybe it's time for you too? ;)

Just finished my 50th ROOT for the year! I'm hopelessly behind on my reviews, but I HAVE achieved my reading goal for the year!

Awesome job meeting your goal so quickly!!

Woo hoo! Congratulations!!

Congrats!!

Oh, wow, super!

Ok, I had high hopes that I would go back and fill in fieldnotes for the books I've missed while work has been so busy, but I think I'll remain hopelessly overwhelmed if I try that, so - new plan! Behold fieldnotes for my latest read.

Artefact: Sharpe's Eagle - Bernard Cornwell (Sharpe, Book 08 (chronological))
Trove: Paperback
Status: Muster Regiment!



Fieldnotes:
1 Roguish Captain Risen from the Ranks
1 Easy-Going Irish Sergeant who Fights as Fearsomely as Cuchulainn
1 Crackshot Poacher
1 Light Company at their Command

Wellington! (Arthur Wellesley Variety)
Talavera
1 Striking Display of Pride and Incompetence
1 Exploding Bridge
3 Lost Colours
1 Near Mutiny
1 Career in Tatters

1 Lovely Lady from Lisbon
1 Frighteningly Appearance-Obsessed Officer
1 Nasty Nephew (Lieutenant)
Revenge

1 Lazy, Incompetent and Fearful Army of Allies
Several Columns of French Infantry
Scattered French Voltigeur Skirmishers (Deadly Variety)
1 Dutch Battalion
1 Napoleonic Eagle

The Short Version:
This was my first foray into written Sharpe. I have seen a few (though far from all) of his BBC adventures, so in my head Richard Sharpe will always look exactly like a young Sean Bean (in the same way that Hornblower will always resemble Ioan Gruffudd). I am happy to say that I adore Sharpe and Harper (and Hagman, of course) just as much on paper as I did on-screen. And I will be scouring the shelves of the local used bookstore on my upcoming trip to fill out the ranks of the Sharpe series for my bookshelves.

The Long Version:
To Come

Good plan! :)

May I recommend the early Spanish adventures? That's when Wellington's army was still quite small, so there's room for dashing exploits, and there are loads of oddball characters, like Major Hogan or Lossow of the King's German Legion.

Yay Sharpe! Love the status for this one :D

Artefact: It's Up to You, New York - Tess Daly
Trove: Paperback
Status: Three Lovely Books Stand Before Me, But I Only Have Space For Two On My Shelves



Fieldnotes:
1 Dead-end Job
1 Modeling Reality Show
1 Suprise "Discovery"
1 Sometimes Warm and Fuzzy Sometimes Catty Supermodel Presenter

1 Handsome Corporate Lawyer Boyfriend
1 Celebrity Gossip Journalist
1 Dazzling Billionaire Playboy (Simon Cowell Variety)
1 Movie Star
Problems of the Rich and the Famous

1 Unexpected Client
1 Very Likely Unenforceable Contract
1 Gift That's Not For You, oops

The Short Version:
The first half was a bit like an ANTM novelization (which I admit to enjoying), but the book lost me when beautiful model-material Holly descends into insecurity about absolutely everything.

The Long Version:
I actually quite enjoyed the first half of the book while Holly was "discovered" and a contestant on the modeling reality show. In some ways it could have stood being fleshed out a bit more (as it sometimes seemed to be like the clips episode from a season of Top Model - Holly crying over her haircut, Holly refusing to pose in lingerie, Holly being late for her go-sees), and I was actually really cranky with Holly for not even TRYING to go to an agency either in London or when she was bored in New York, but just talking in her head about how she really MUST look into it when she got back from playing house.

And honestly, when Holly went to NY and went a bit off the deep end playing at being part of high society but not seeming to actually enjoy it much and generally behaving rather poorly...well, I lost interest. Mainly because Holly not DOING anything but getting mani-pedis and agonizing over whether any of the many men trailing around after her actually find her attractive is irritating - especially as she does it in isolation with no acerbic best friend to tell her to cut the crap.

Blech.. Sounds tiring ;)

Yeah!! You reached your goal! Congrats!

>138 Caramellunacy: I love your bookshelf! So bright and cheerful!

Congratulations on surpassing your goal!!!

Artefact: Once a Hero - Elizabeth Moon (The Serrano Legacy, Book 04)
Trove: Paperback
Status: Seeking Connected Artefacts



Fieldnotes:
1 Board of Inquiry
1 Courtmartial
(Both Remnants of Prior Books in the Series, Beware)

1 Surprise!Brilliant Command Lieutenant Hiding in the Technical Track
Many Awful Nightmares Resulting from Trauma (Suppressed and Recent Variety)
1 Serrano Ensign (Handsome Variety)
1 Enormous Deep Space Repair Ship, with
1 Very Confusing Command Structure, and
The Ability to Provide Ships for the Enemy Bloodhorde if Captured

SpaceWalking
1 Not-So-Smart Mine
25 Bloodhorde Infiltrators
1 Daring Plan

The Short Version:
I like my space opera adventurous but balanced with enough of a personal backstory or relationship backdrop to make it personable (and to avoid action-blockbuster boredom). Elizabeth Moon's Serrano Legacy largely delivers, although this story again (similar to prior instalments in the series) spends a little too much time with Suiza's court martial / set-up / therapy and not quite enough time on the adventure section. I liked Suiza and enjoyed getting to know her and unravelling some of what was in her head, but I wouldn't have minded a little more time in combat. That said - it was a nice break from the usual digressions about horses and more horses, and I'll be re-reading this series (in order this time).

The Long Version:
Due to the different name of the protagonist (Suiza), I thought this was a spin-off series from the other Serrano series books I have read - but it's actually the fourth in the series, and the first third or so deals with the aftermath of events in the third book (which I haven't read). I didn't have any trouble keeping up - but I would recommend reading these in order so that prior plot twists aren't spoiled.

Public service announcement out of the way? Quick plot recap time (potential spoilers for prior books in the series):

Esmay Suiza wasn't trying to be a hero - she still doesn't really think of herself as one and is convinced that the leadership abilities she demonstrated in the prior book were a mere fluke. But as the most senior surviving officer of the mutiny in the last book, Suiza is subject to close scrutiny from both a Board of Enquiry - who wonder how her command potential could have been so severely overlooked in the Academy and in her prior assignments - and from a Court Martial charged with making sure there are no further traitors lurking within the ranks. But despite escaping both of those bodies unscathed, Suiza is sent on assignment to a deep space repair vessel - an enormous technical hulk on the edge of the system - often considered a career death knell (unless you're an engineer) as nothing ever happens... at least not under usual circumstances...

So, maybe it has to do with my chosen profession, but I wish if we were going to spend the first section of the book in a Board of Enquiry and then a Court Martial for Suiza's actions in the prior book that there had been a bit more A Few Good Men-style legal thriller going on. It seemed like Moon was going through the motions to deal with the necessary consequences and set up reasons for Suiza's trip home and her superiors mistrust of her, but didn't really commit to the scenes we were being shown. But then again, I have a deep and abiding fondness for courtroom scenes (not generally shared by space opera enthusiasts) that had me enjoying the JAG in Space (which I always have to say like Muppets in Spaaaaaaaace) series despite its rather workman-like qualities.

Regardless, the court martial paves the way for Suiza to return home for a while - she is the first in a very long time to trade in her homeworld of Altiplano's militia for a commission in the Fleet and much is made later of certain cultural misunderstandings and quirks that emphasize her "other"-ness to Fleet and make her difficult to understand, especially given that her home culture places a great deal of emphasis on ritual courtesy, stoicism and heavily proscribed gender roles. Esmay doesn't really fit into that world (especially as she has taken on a more "male" combat role) and she struggles quite a bit with these expectations. Quite a bit of time is spent with Esmay on Altiplano (more horses, which seem to be a bit of a quirk for Moon). Although the narrative is clearly outsider from Fleet, but who understands combat and who has caught the eye of one of the reigning families - a Serrano is one of the ones who walks her through those differences, not much is shown as to whether she decides to jettison some of those cultural quirks in the interest of promotion within Fleet or how much she chooses to retain as a matter of identity - which, though a digression, would have been interesting to read about against the background of her family. Perhaps in later books involving Suiza?

The third part of the book follows Suiza's deployment on the DSR and essentially has her struggling with whether to and how to tap her command potential - until the universe gives her a kick with a Bloodhorde smart mine and the possibility of infiltrators and more traitors. This is the most action-oriented section of the story and the part I found most enjoyable. I enjoyed seeing Suiza's tactical side take over as she came up with ways to deal with hostile forces, and I would have liked to see more specific instances of her in command and embracing her more "heroic" role. Particularly I liked that not only was the Serrano ensign the captured love interest, Suiza didn't get to go in guns blazing to rescue him - instead she was forced to consider the needs of the ship and wasn't around to find and comfort him until later. She just has to put him and his rescue out of her mind to take care of business. I loved the subversion of that trope! And while I understood the need for the therapy afterward - and the amount of strength she showed Serrano (who was living up to equally difficult self-imposed and familial expectations), I could have done with a little less in the way of therapy and a little more in the way of kicking Bloodhorde rear end...

Artefact: Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
Trove: Local Library
Status: Return to Lender



Fieldnotes:
1 Spoiled Birthday
1 Overshadowing Older Sister
1 Runaway
1 Jerry-Springer-Style Show

Cheerleading
1 Mother Living Vicariously Through Her Daughter
1 Photography Class
1 Ex-Hippie New Age Couple Next Door
Trivial Pursuit Battles
1 Dramatic Best Friend
1 New Friend

1 Bad Boy Love Interest
Drug-Dealing
Isolation
Invisibility
Anger Issues
Abuse

The Short Version:
While the other Dessen stories I have read have a deeper, darker core, they generally surround those real issues with a charming romance (or similar happy things). There's not a lot of happy in this book. This isn't a bad book - it was easy to see how and why Caitlin felt isolated and invisible and terrified of leaving. BUT - I didn't really connect with WHY Rogerson in the first place. The crucial piece missing for me was the part where Rogerson was nice, made her feel better, was romantic (like her friend's boyfriend Dave, for example). Instead, to paraphrase Taylor Swift, I knew he was trouble when he walked on page and he did absolutely nothing to charm me or convince me that Caitlin would be head over heels. He basically treated her like a puppy from the beginning, and I didn't GET the "refuge" feeling or the warm fuzzies from any of it. Just the nastiness.

The Long Version:
On the morning of Caitlin's 16th birthday, her "perfect" older sister Cass runs away. Ever in her sister's shadow, Caitlin finds it difficult to try to fill the void left in her mother's over-scheduling life (by trying out for cheerleading) while also trying to break free of the "Cass" mold - by dating resident bad boy Rogerson.

TO COME...

Artefact: The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
Trove: Paperback
Status: Pass on to other detectives



Fieldnotes
1 Time-Traveling Serial Killer
1 Inexplicable and Convenient Wormhole Magic House
1 Time-Loop of Murders and Anachronistic Keepsakes
1 Weird Concept of "Shining" Girls who have Potential or Virtue or something messed-up like that
Too Many Grisly Murders
1 Escaped Would-Be Victim
1 Sacrificial Dog

1 Washed-Up Cranky Sports Journalist
1 Manipulative Newspaper Internship Used to Further:
1 Messed-Up Quest to Find the Killer
1 Weird and Inappropriate May/December Romantic Interest
Several Incompetent Police Officers
1 Junkie who Offers the Best Lead
1 Incredibly Unlucky Businessman

The Short Version:
The very short version? I did not like this book. I wanted to, but really didn't. I like twisty crime thrillers and thought the idea of a time-traveling serial killer being hunted by one of his own victims was a great premise for a novel. Unfortunately, I never liked Kirby, never got attached to the "shining girls", never understood the time loop or the purpose of the time traveling (is it a homicidal house? Why?) and, most importantly, didn't get the whole "shining" premise.

The Long Version:

While on the run from a bunch of Hooverville vigilantes, Harper Curtis stumbles upon the House (as a result of an unnecessary murder) - a house that opens onto a series of other times. A house with an upstairs room with a string of objects tacked to the wall and women's names written on the wall in his handwriting. Women he remembers murdering, women he will murder in a weird time-loop.

I think a lot of my response to the book came down to the fact that I never really connected with Kirby. She has gone through a horrifying ordeal and is trying to be proactive to solve the murder when the police have turned up exactly nothing. But her single-minded charging after her goal, regardless of the emotional wreckage she leaves in her wake, isn't exactly endearing. She manipulates her way into an internship with former crime-beat, now sports reporter Dan Velasquez because he covered her case (fleetingly) when she was attacked. She plays with the researchers and places personal ads, but doesn't really buckle down to her story. She essentially drops out of school, refuses to listen to the editor or make sure she retains this job. Everything leads back to this quest for her killer.

But her "perseverance" mostly seemed to come down to continually harassing other people for not helping her rather than tracking down clues herself - or actually listening to victims' stories (at least on-page - we're told at the end of the novel that she's been amassing research for a year but we don't hear anything about how this happens). Instead of tracking Kirby's investigation, we spend much more time (or at least more memorable time) with Harper as he stalks his victims - even though we never learn of any motivation, or even if he has any other than brutishness and the deterministic time-loop.

Harper's victims "shine" which seems to mean they have some sort of spark that spurs them (or would have) to greatness, potential whether artistic, social conscience, or scientific or something. Except that doesn't make any sense - there are what 9 (I can't be bothered to go back and count) over the course of 60 years? What does that say about the rest of womankind (don't even get me started on the weird conceit of "femicide" to describe the murders, which I expect is meant to be feminist in a book where the women are always referred to as "girls")? All other women just won't achieve greatness? No spark or potential there? Are we supposed to be particularly upset that he chooses these "shining" stars to be wiped out? Does he wipe them out to hold them back? To quench that potential? Is it a whole misogynistic thing? But what does that say about all the other women who are murdered? They weren't special enough? We aren't so upset about them because they didn't have that "shine"?

Reading the back of the book - it sounds as if this was written (at least in part) in response to a friend's nasty murder and the lack of response thereto. The author notes that murders should be about the victims, not treating them as simple clues and making the murderer paramount (as is often done in thrillers). If that is what the author was going for, I don't think she really succeeded - although each of the victims are meant to be inspirational, she doesn't give us much to get to know any of them. They're brief little stereotypes of "shining" that remind me a bit of a career day. The only one I really remember - that I felt like I got to know at all was Zora, the African-American shipbuilder during WWII who just wanted to get home to her kids. The others I remember their job - the biologist or the Korean social worker, but we didn't really get identifying details about their lives. They weren't exactly humanized. Which seems to fly in the face of the author's stated goal of personalizing the victims - of reminding a sometimes callous society that these were people with hopes, goals and skills, not throw-aways or anonymous bodies. That they were more than victims - footnotes in a killer's bodycount.

And it was tough keeping track of the objects taken and left with each of them because they simply weren't given much significance. It seemed more like a gimmick than an actual integral plot point - particularly when it turns out that Kirby doesn't really puzzle out much of anything. The blurb suggests that Kirby actually investigates and puzzles out what is happening - no matter how improbable, but other than hounding a recently bereaved mother and hassling the researchers at the paper with broad-based questions, we weren't shown any of that. Instead the case is "solved" when Harper comes after Kirby at the newspaper and she literally follows him into the house and another time. An unsatisfying ending at best.

Also. Just as a warning. The dog dies and isn't even properly mourned.

Artefact: The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan
Trove: Paperback
Status: To Be Sent Into the World to Seek Its Fortune



Fieldnotes:
3 Sisters, of which
2 Ballerinas at the Paris Opera School
1 Theater Extra

1 Laundress Mother
Poverty
Absinthe

Modelling for Degas
Pseudo-Science (Physiognomy)
1 Pseudo-Scientific Play of the Determinism of Poverty

1 Creepy but Useful Opera Patron
1 Before-School Job at the Bakery
1 Sweet Baker's Son

1 Weak-Willed Good-for-Nothing Boy
1 Even Nastier Friend
2 Murders

The Short Version:
I love reading about ballerinas, artists and Belle Epoque France, and eagerly snatched up this book. I was engrossed in the dual narratives with Marie and Antoinette trying to protect their younger sister from the effects of poverty. I was rooting for the smart, hard-working Marie, particularly, and watching the two of them struggle with poverty, with poor choices in men, with what to sacrifice for ambition was all rather heart-breaking.

The Long Version:
To Come

Artefact: The Rook by Daniel O'Malley (The Rook Files, Book 01)
Trove: Local Library
Status: Seek for Personal Collection



Fieldnotes:
1 Nasty Bout with Amnesia/No Memory, leading to
1 Intense Personality Change
Several Helpful Letters
1 Administrative Genius
1 Excellent Administrative Assistant
Lots of Witty Repartee

1 Super-Secret Organization Dealing with the Paranormal
1 Rather Silly Chess-based Hierarchy
Superpowers (think X-Men)
Several Manifestations
1 Very Nasty (and RUDE) Being in a Fishtank
Traitors

Several Very Large Bodyguards
1 Creepy "Bachelor Pad" Residence
1 Long-Lost Sibling
1 Rabbit

The Short Version:
I loved it. I giggled and stuck post-it notes on particularly witty turns of phrase (my library copy resembled a yellow hedgehog by the end) and read them to my unappreciative husband and much more appreciative mother. I want a copy of my very own. Also the sequel. WHEN IS THE SEQUEL, MR. O'MALLEY?

The Long Version:
To Come

I'm intrigued. And the cover is classy.

>164 Caramellunacy: lol: "1 Weird Concept of "Shining" Girls who have Potential or Virtue or something messed-up like that" Thanks for your review... always good to know how a concept really plays out...

And on that note, >166 Caramellunacy: yay! I've heard good things about the Rook; will have to keep my eye out for it...

>166 Caramellunacy: Yay! That one's on my TBR list. Will have to hunt it up soon.

Glad you all stopped by!

I was really intrigued by The Shining Girls but ended up spending a lot of time curling my lip at it rather than being particularly intrigued. Definitely didn't work for me.

BUT, BUT, BUT - The Rook! So the concept seemed similar to Midnight Riot/Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch (which was only a so-so read for me), but The Rook's humor was right up my alley. I'll do a proper review of it later (I hope), but I loved the main character bringing the snark when everyone expected her to be weak and cowering. Happy!

>170 Caramellunacy: more good info! I haven't read Rivers of London yet, but I've read the 3rd in that series... I've decided to give it a fair shake and start from the beginning, but nice to know that the concept was better done in The Rook! All the more reason to go out and buy it... er, after I read some more ROOTs of course.... ;)

>166 Caramellunacy: a nasty, rude being in a fishtank....VERY intriguing!

Another for the wishlist. :)

Artefact: Heart and Salsa - Suzanne Nelson (Students Across the Seven Seas, Book 08)
Trove: Paperback
Status: Seek Related Artefacts



Fieldnotes:
1 (Thankfully Discussed Rather Than Demonstrated) Mopey Teenager with First World Problems, including
Deliberate Grade Sabotage
Cold Shoulder to Perfectly Nice Stepparent
Refusal to Do The Things She Loves to Punish Parents, which results in:

1 Parental Guilt Manipulated Study Abroad Program
OAXACA Mexico
1 Community Project
1 Snotty Host Sister
Delicious Surprise!Fried Grasshoppers
Environment/Cultural Enrichment Trips
Cliff-Diving
BABY TURTLES!

1 Neglectful Best Friend, Too Busy With
1 Irritating Player "Boyfriend" (Sleazy Variety)
1 Down-To-Earth Adorable NOT!Dating NOT!Boyfriend
1 Nerdy Troubadour with Aspirations of Don Juan (Sweet not Sleazy Variety)
Salsa Dancing

The Short Version:
Not terribly memorable, but given the protagonist's pure self-centred stupidity when she has it incredibly good...not as bad as I had feared.

The Long Version:
Caitlin Wilcox, Diver Extraordinaire, was FORCED by her mother's remarriage to a college professor to leave her beloved Scottsdale, Arizona and move to Boston. In protest, she refuses to (a) make friends, (b) dive (although it is her OneTrueLove outside of Spanish), (c) give Boston a chance or (d) give Ted (her new stepfather) a chance. She deliberately does poorly on her schoolwork in hopes that if her grades drop, her mother will relent and move back to Arizona so she doesn't jeopardize her entire future. She won't join the dive club that is courting her because she is apparently amazing (*eyeroll*) because she doesn't want to have to dive indoors. Year-round. In a state-of-the-art facility. With a top-notch team. (Does sabotaging both your chances at an academic scholarship and an athletic one seem like poor life choices to anyone else?) She won't speak to Ted because THE MAN EATS DOUGHNUTS WITH A KNIFE AND FORK, OH THE TRAVESTY! Are you crying for poor, mistreated Cat yet?

So the premise sounds irritating - bright high school student self-sabotages her academics and extracurriculars and refuses to do anything fun in Boston as she's too busy sulking because her mom remarried a nice guy and they had to move and refuses to do anything but mope until they allow her to go study abroad for a summer in Mexico with her best friend from former home. Because she loves Spanish (which apparently is not offered at her Boston high school, REALLY?).

Luckily, most of that stupidity isn't front and center because our book opens in Oaxaca, and the main character Caitlin (Cat) truly is excited about being in Mexico and bettering her Spanish - and hanging out with her best friend Sabrina, who keeps blowing her off for her new boyfriend. Top that off with a Host Sister who has decided before she so much as opens her mouth that she's a shallow American Princess doing this for nothing but resume-building, and Cat's summer no longer quite resembles the perfect beacon of hope she had made it out to be.

The Pretty White Kids With FirstWorldProblems thing gets old pretty quickly and the whole setup is fairly formulaic, but it's saved from being too painful because:

(a) Aidan - the cute boy with the sketchpad and the baby turtle obsession who likes Cat and they TALK and he (gently) tells her to get over herself and it is adorable.

(b) Mexico! - they go to rainforests for a canopy tour (WANT!) and the beach and there are BABY TURTLES, you guys? THEY SAVE BABY TURTLES FROM SEAGULLS.
Also - Cat is genuinely interested in the culture and history (and while Izzie's immediate hostility was annoying, I do wish the whole Using Mexico as a Playground and Resume Building Opportunity without Considering the People Who Actually Live There thing hadn't disappeared entirely quite so quickly).

It's a quick, fairly lightweight read. It's not a firm keeper - but I'm hanging on to it for now to try to collect the full S.A.S.S. series before I decide their ultimate fate.

Making excellent progress on your roots! Congrats!

Doing a good job! And I like your fieldnotes, but I said that earlier! They make me smile a lot.

Great fieldnotes, as always. The only thing that saves Caitlin from my reaching into the fictional world and giving her a fictional slap into fictional reality is the baby turtles.