Christina rocks the 2014 category challenge - Part 2

Welcome to the second thread of my 2014 Category Challenge! Part 1 is HERE.



All my categories are titles of songs that I really enjoy, although some of them are guilty pleasures (I'm afraid Styx makes an appearance...). Music is my other true love and all-consuming hobby, so I'm really glad I was able to make this theme work for my challenge!

I'm doing a stepped challenge with 14 categories (one book in category #1, two in #2, etc.), which means I'm aiming for 105 books total. My challenge started on January 1 and will end on December 31. Happy reading!

1. You're My Best Friend - Queen (listen)
A Jeeves & Wooster omnibus. I think they are totally best buddies.



1. P.G. Wodehouse -- The World of Jeeves

***COMPLETE***

2. Please Mr. Postman - The Marvelettes (listen)
Letters.



1. Charlotte Mosley, ed. -- The Letters of Nancy Mitford and Evelyn Waugh
2.

Candidates:
Charlotte Mosley, ed. -- In Tearing Haste: Letters Between Deborah Devonshire and Patrick Leigh Fermor

3. The Kids Are Alright - The Who (listen)
Children's classics that I somehow never read. What were my parents thinking?



1. Lois Lowry -- The Giver
2.
3.

Candidates:
Norton Juster -- The Phantom Tollbooth
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry -- The Little Prince

4. Over the Hills and Far Away - Led Zeppelin (listen)
I haven't read Tolkien in several years at this point, and I need my LOTR fix!



1. The Hobbit
2.
3.
4.

Candidates:
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers
The Return of the King

5. London Calling - The Clash (listen)
Books published by the Bloomsbury Group. Bloomsbury is in London, so it works, right?



1. Frank Baker -- Miss Hargreaves
2. E.F. Benson -- Mrs. Ames
3.
4.
5.

Candidates:
Rachel Ferguson -- The Brontës Went to Woolworths
Ada Leverson -- Love's Shadow
D.E. Stevenson -- Mrs. Tim of the Regiment

6. Golden Years - David Bowie (listen)
Mysteries published before 1960, a.k.a. the Golden Age! This category will accommodate the annual Vintage Mystery Challenge at My Reader's Block.



1. Rex Stout -- Fer-de-Lance
2. Michael Innes -- Death at the President's Lodging
3. Georgette Heyer -- A Blunt Instrument
4.
5.
6.

Candidates:
John Dickson Carr -- The Hollow Man, 1935
A.A. Milne -- The Red House Mystery, 1922 (August)
Christopher Morley -- The Haunted Bookshop, 1919 (July)
Mary Roberts Rinehart -- The Circular Staircase, 1908

7. Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones (listen)
Books about or set during World War II.



1. D.E. Stevenson -- The Two Mrs. Abbotts
2. Kathryn Miller Haines -- The Girl Is Murder
3. Elizabeth Wein -- Rose Under Fire
4. Ben Macintyre -- Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies
5.
6.
7.

Candidates:
Laurent Binet -- HHhH
Kate Lord Brown -- The Beauty Chorus
Wes Davis -- The Ariadne Objective: The Underground War to Rescue Crete from the Nazis
Christopher Fowler -- Full Dark House
Kathryn Miller Haines -- Winter in June
Pam Jenoff -- The Things We Cherished
Leo Marks -- Between Silk and Cyanide: A Codemaker's War, 1941-1945
David McCullough -- In the Dark Streets Shineth: A 1941 Christmas Eve Story
Nancy Mitford -- Pigeon Pie
Rebecca Rischin -- For the End of Time: The Story of the Messiaen Quartet
Corrie Ten Boom -- The Hiding Place
Jo Walton -- Farthing
Sara Young -- My Enemy's Cradle

8. Mr. Roboto - Styx (listen)
Sci fi, speculative fiction, dystopias, etc.



1. Chris Wooding -- Retribution Falls
2. Max Barry -- Lexicon
3. Lois McMaster Bujold -- Young Miles
4. Diana Peterfreund -- Across a Star-Swept Sea
5.
6.
7.
8.

Candidates:
Ann Aguirre -- Wanderlust
Rachel Bach -- Fortune's Pawn
Kage Baker -- In the Garden of Iden
Iain M. Banks -- Consider Phlebas
Alden Bell -- The Reapers Are the Angels
Adam Christopher -- Empire State
Philip K. Dick -- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (September)
Jasper Fforde -- The Woman Who Died a Lot
Karen Lord -- The Best of All Possible Worlds
Tahereh Mafi -- Shatter Me
Elizabeth Moon -- Trading in Danger
Bee Ridgway -- The River of No Return
Connie Willis -- Miracle and Other Christmas Stories (author month - December)
Connie Willis -- Uncharted Territory (author month - December)
Ben H. Winters -- The Last Policeman
Chris Wooding -- The Black Lung Captain

9. Private Eyes - Hall and Oates (listen)
More mysteries. I certainly can't limit myself to ONE mystery category!



1. Mary Miley -- The Impersonator
2. Ellis Peters -- The Raven in the Foregate
3. Hannah March -- The Complaint of the Dove
4. Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö -- Roseanna
5. Elizabeth Peters -- Borrower of the Night
6. Tana French -- In the Woods
7.
8.
9.

Candidates:
Elizabeth Bailey -- The Gilded Shroud
Rhys Bowen -- Naughty in Nice
Rhys Bowen -- The Twelve Clues of Christmas
Marion Chesney -- Snobbery with Violence
Barbara Cleverly -- The Last Kashmiri Rose
Anna Dean -- A Woman of Consequence
Julianna Deering -- Rules of Murder
Charles Finch -- The Laws of Murder
Ariana Franklin -- Mistress of the Art of Death
Ann Granger -- The Companion
Kerry Greenwood -- Cocaine Blues
Laurie R. King -- The Beekeeper's Apprentice
J.J. Murphy -- You Might As Well Die
Stefanie Pintoff -- A Curtain Falls
Kate Ross -- The Devil in Music
Cynthia Smith -- Noblesse Oblige
Richard Stark -- The Hunter (July)
Frank Tallis -- A Death in Vienna
Nicola Upson -- An Expert in Murder
Ashley Weaver -- Murder at the Brightwell
Patricia Wynn -- The Spider's Touch

10. Got to Get You into My Life - The Beatles (listen)
Books published in 2014. This was a category I really missed having in 2013!



1. Alan Bradley -- The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches
2. Katie Heaney -- Never Have I Ever: My Life (So Far) Without a Date
3. Sarah Addison Allen -- Lost Lake
4. Elizabeth Blackwell -- While Beauty Slept
5. Lauren Owen -- The Quick
6. B.J. Novak -- One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories
7. Kristan Higgins -- Waiting on You
8. Jean Kwok -- Mambo in Chinatown
9. William Ritter -- Jackaby
10. Morgan Matson -- Since You've Been Gone

***COMPLETE***

11. Magic Man - Heart (listen)
Fantasy, including sword & sorcery, urban fantasy, paranormal creatures, magical powers, etc.



1. Emma Newman -- Between Two Thorns
2. Susanna Kearsley -- The Shadowy Horses
3. Polly Shulman -- The Grimm Legacy
4. Anne Sexton -- Transformations
5. Juliet Marillier -- Blade of Fortriu
6. Robin LaFevers -- Mortal Heart
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

Candidates:
Leigh Bardugo -- Shadow and Bone
Carol Berg -- Guardians of the Keep
Marie Brennan -- The Tropic of Serpents
Lois McMaster Bujold -- The Curse of Chalion
Gail Carriger -- Waistcoats & Weaponry
Rae Carson -- The Girl of Fire and Thorns
Kristin Cashore -- Graceling
Claudia J. Edwards -- Eldrie the Healer
Jasper Fforde -- The Last Dragonslayer
Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett -- Good Omens (October)
Emily Gee -- Thief with No Shadow
Emma Jane Holloway -- A Study in Silks
Barry Hughart -- Bridge of Birds
David Liss -- The Twelfth Enchantment
Melina Marchetta -- Finnikin of the Rock
Juliet Marillier -- Child of the Prophecy
Juliet Marillier -- Shadowfell
Seanan McGuire -- Discount Armageddon
Seanan McGuire -- Indexing
Seanan McGuire -- The Winter Long
Vera Nazarian -- Cobweb Bride
Jennifer A. Nielsen -- The False Prince
Naomi Novik -- Blood of Tyrants
Ludmilla Petrushevskaya -- There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor's Baby
Terry Pratchett -- The Light Fantastic
Catherynne M. Valente -- The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
Elizabeth Willey -- The Well-Favored Man
Patricia C. Wrede -- Shadow Magic

12. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen (listen)
Books set outside the U.S. and U.K. This category will accommodate the 2014 GeoCAT.



1. Elizabeth Hay -- Late Nights on Air
2. Matt Beynon Rees -- A Grave in Gaza
3. Lorna Goodison -- By Love Possessed: Stories
4. Ismail Kadare -- Broken April
5. Timeri N. Murari -- The Taliban Cricket Club
6. M.M. Kaye -- Death in the Andamans
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

Candidates:
Maria Semple -- Where'd You Go, Bernadette (Antarctica - July)
Shūsaku Endō -- Silence (Japan - September)
Carlos Ruiz Zafón -- The Shadow of the Wind (September)
Roberto Ampuero -- The Neruda Case (Chile - October)
Graeme Simsion -- The Rosie Project (Australia - November)
Chinua Achebe -- No Longer at Ease (Nigeria - December)
Nicholas Drayson -- A Guide to the Birds of East Africa (Kenya)
Johan Harstad -- Buzz Aldrin, What Happened to You in All the Confusion? (Norway/Faroe Islands)
Patrick Taylor -- Pray for Us Sinners (Ireland)
Marieke van der Pol -- Bride Flight (New Zealand)

Also, books from this list.

13. Fell in Love with a Girl - The White Stripes (listen)
Romance and chick lit.



1. Julia Quinn -- Just Like Heaven
2. Katherine Reay -- Dear Mr. Knightley
3. Sarra Manning -- Unsticky
4. Caprice Crane -- With a Little Luck
5. Julie James -- Love Irresistibly
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

Candidates:
Hester Browne -- Swept off Her Feet
Jennifer Crusie -- Trust Me on This
Jennifer Echols -- Biggest Flirts
Sophie Flack -- Bunheads
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles -- Kate's Progress
Kristan Higgins -- Fools Rush In
Kristan Higgins -- The Next Best Thing
Kristan Higgins -- Somebody to Love
Kristan Higgins -- Until There Was You
Julie James -- It Happened One Wedding
Jessica Park -- Left Drowning
Stephanie Perkins -- Isla and the Happily Ever After
Rainbow Rowell -- Landline
Jennifer E. Smith -- The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Shannon Stacey -- Exclusively Yours

14. Reelin' in the Years - Steely Dan (listen)
Historical fiction. This can also include books with parallel storylines, as long as one of them is historical.



1. Georgette Heyer -- The Spanish Bride
2. Kate Quinn -- Mistress of Rome
3. Sharon Kay Penman -- The Sunne in Splendour
4. Jessica Brockmole -- Letters from Skye
5. Lauren Willig -- That Summer
6. Caryl Brahms & S.J. Simon -- No Bed for Bacon
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.

Candidates:
Louis Bayard -- The Black Tower
Lucinda Brant -- Midnight Marriage
Elizabeth Chadwick -- The Greatest Knight
Julianne Donaldson -- Blackmoore
Julianne Donaldson -- Edenbrooke
Amanda Grange -- Henry Tilney's Diary
Sara Gruen -- Water for Elephants (group read - August)
Candice Hern -- A Proper Companion
Cecelia Holland -- Railroad Schemes
Emery Lee -- The Highest Stakes
Kate Morton -- The Forgotten Garden
Farran Smith Nehme -- Missing Reels
Baroness Orczy -- I Will Repay
Sharon Kay Penman -- Lionheart
Deanna Raybourn -- A Spear of Summer Grass
Jennifer Robson -- Somewhere in France (August)
Cheryl Sawyer -- The Winter Prince
Diane Setterfield -- Bellman & Black
Rosie Thomas -- The Illusionists
Ciji Ware -- A Cottage by the Sea
Lauren Willig -- The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla
Louisa Young -- My Dear I Wanted to Tell You

Bonus: CATs in the Cradle - Harry Chapin (listen)
My picks for the 2014 Random, Geography, and Mystery CATs will go here. I probably won't do every CAT every month, but I'll try to participate as much as I can!



January
RandomCAT (Janus): The Impersonator by Mary Miley, Between Two Thorns by Emma Newman
GeoCAT (US, Canada): The Impersonator by Mary Miley, Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay, Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay, Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout
MysteryCAT (detective novels): Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout

February
RandomCAT (children's lit): The Giver by Lois Lowry
GeoCAT (Middle East, North Africa): A Grave in Gaza by Matt Beynon Rees
MysteryCAT (series): The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley, A Grave in Gaza by Matt Beynon Rees

March
RandomCAT (birds): The Raven in the Foregate by Ellis Peters, The Complaint of the Dove by Hannah March
GeoCAT (Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean): By Love Possessed: Stories by Lorna Goodison
MysteryCAT (children's, YA): The Girl Is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines

April
RandomCAT (poetry): Transformations by Anne Sexton
GeoCAT (Eastern Europe): Broken April by Ismail Kadare
MysteryCAT (Nordic): Roseanna by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö

May
RandomCAT (motherhood): Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole
GeoCAT (South Asia): The Taliban Cricket Club by Timeri N. Murari
MysteryCAT (classic, Golden Age): Death at the President's Lodging by Michael Innes

June
RandomCAT (roses): That Summer by Lauren Willig
GeoCAT (islands, bodies of water): Death in the Andamans by M.M. Kaye
MysteryCAT (police procedurals): In the Woods by Tana French

July
RandomCAT (books on books):
GeoCAT (polar regions):
MysteryCAT (noir, hardboiled):

August
RandomCAT:
GeoCAT (Western Europe):
MysteryCAT (British):

September
RandomCAT:
GeoCAT (East Asia):
MysteryCAT (book-themed):

October
RandomCAT:
GeoCAT (South America):
MysteryCAT (global):

November
RandomCAT:
GeoCAT (Australia, Oceania):
MysteryCAT (historical):

December
RandomCAT:
GeoCAT (Sub-Saharan Africa):
MysteryCAT (cozies):

March recap:

March was a tough month for me, reading-wise...I wanted to read nine books but only ended up finishing eight. Still, I'm on track for my yearly goal, so I'll try not to let it bother me too much! Here's what I read in March:

1. Ellis Peters, The Raven in the Foregate -- "Private Eyes" 2 of 9
2. Elizabeth Blackwell, While Beauty Slept -- "Got to Get You into My Life" 4 of 10
3. Kathryn Miller Haines, The Girl Is Murder -- "Blitzkrieg Bop" 2 of 7
4. Caprice Crane, With a Little Luck -- "Fell in Love with a Girl" 4 of 13
5. Lorna Goodison, By Love Possessed: Stories -- "Born to Run" 3 of 12
6. Hannah March, The Complaint of the Dove -- "Private Eyes" 3 of 9
7. Kate Quinn, Mistress of Rome -- "Reelin' in the Years" 2 of 14
8. Frank Baker, Miss Hargreaves -- "London Calling" 1 of 5

Total # pages: 2,656 (grand total: 10,687)

Favorite book of the month: I have to go with Mistress of Rome -- even though it was a total soap opera, it was a completely addictive read!

Least favorite: With a Little Luck -- it wasn't terrible, but there was absolutely nothing original or interesting about it.

OK, time to commence my 2nd quarter reading! I have a lot of tough books lined up for April...hopefully I am up to the challenge!

Now that the second thread is up, enjoy the reading!

>18 MissWatson: Thanks! I certainly intend to. :)

Happy new thread!!!

Thanks, Eva! New month, new quarter...it seemed like the right time!

Happy new thread! :D

>22 rabbitprincess: Why thank you!

Book #29: Polly Shulman, The Grimm Legacy
Category: Magic Man (3/11)
CATs: none

High-school student Elizabeth Rew is feeling lonely: her new stepmother is taking up most of her father's time, and she's just transferred to a new school where she doesn't have any friends. So when her history teacher suggests that she get a job with the New York Circulating Material Repository, she looks forward to the new experience. The Repository is a lending library for objects, including famous historical artifacts like Marie Antoinette's wig; but Elizabeth soon discovers that there are even more important objects to be found. Specifically, the Grimm Collection houses fairytale items with magical properties, including flying carpets and seven-league boots. As Elizabeth explores the wonders of the Grimm Collection, she also befriends her fellow employees, including popular Marc, beautiful Anjali, and standoffish Aaron. When some of the magical items go missing, it's up to Elizabeth and her newfound friends to discover who is stealing from the Grimm Collection -- before they become the thief's next victims.

A few years ago I read Polly Shulman's other book, Enthusiasm, and really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me quite as well. I absolutely loved the premise -- what if you could actually borrow the magic mirror from Snow White or Aladdin's lamp? -- and many of the details related to this concept worked very well. I especially liked the idea that borrowers had to leave a "deposit" for the items, which could be something like their sense of direction, their singing voice, or their firstborn child. The problem with the book is that it's geared toward a very young audience. I don't have a problem with YA in general, and I've read many excellent books in the genre, but this one really felt like YA or even juvenile fiction. If I'd read the book at age 11, I probably would have loved it, but as an adult, I found it far too simplistic. There were also a few plot points that weren't fully fleshed out, such as Elizabeth's relationships with her dad and stepmom. Overall, the book is a decent read, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you're really OK with juvenile or YA fiction.

Have you ever seen Warehouse 13? The idea of real-life artifacts having magical powers is the main premise of that show.

>25 casvelyn: I have not, but after seeing some discussion about it here on LT, it is in my Netflix queue! :)

Warehouse 13 is ace! You should definitely see it if you haven't. I think it was Jean (Majkia) who had a Warehouse 13 challenge last year.

>27 PawsforThought: I think that's when I decided that I would have to watch the show! :)

28. Me too! I haven't watched TV in a few months but before that I was halfway through season 2 and thoroughly enjoying it.

>29 PawsforThought: My issue is that I'm in the middle of about 5 shows on Netflix...don't know if I can start another until I finish at least one of them!

30. Only five? I have a chart saved on my laptop to be able to keep track of where I am in what shows. I have A LOT more shows than five.

Lovely new thread Christina..... and I promise not to futher nudge you towards Warehouse 13, even though it is an entertaining show. We binge watched and by season three we had to take a time out away from the show. Might be time to venture back into it now......;-)

>31 PawsforThought: Haha, I love it! Of course we crazy LT-ers would be just as organized with our TV shows as with our books! :)

>32 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori! And OK, I can take a hint…I'll move "Warehouse 13" to the front of the queue. ;)

And speaking of TV, here is a blog post I wrote about the series finale of "How I Met Your Mother," if you are in the mood to read a very long rant!

the Grimm Legacy sounds fun. Think I'll add it to the pile. :)

33. Some of us are crazy organized about everything that can be organized. I think it's a condition.

>35 nittnut: Well, if the issues I had with the book don't bother you, I think you'll enjoy it!

>36 PawsforThought: Haha, but it's a wonderful condition!

Happy New Thread!

Thanks for bringing to my attention that Kathryn Miller Haines has started a new series. I have been enjoying her Rosie Winter series and have only book four left.

>38 mamzel: Why thank you!

>39 Roro8: So far the Iris Anderson series only has two books in it, The Girl Is Murder and The Girl Is Trouble…I'm hoping Haines will write more though!

Book #30: Lauren Owen, The Quick
Category: Got to Get You into My Life (5/10)
CATs: none

This novel, set in late Victorian England, centers around James Norbury and his sister Charlotte. After growing up isolated in a crumbling country estate, James is eager to move to London and try his luck as a poet. He slowly begins to conquer his shyness and mix a little in society, and eventually he even falls in love. But everything changes one fateful night when James is attacked, kidnapped, and initiated into the sinister Aegolius Club. Meanwhile, Charlotte has grown more and more anxious about her brother, who seems to have vanished without a trace. She journeys to London and attemps to discover what has happened to him, but what she finds out is more shocking and horrible than she ever could have imagined. As the Aegolius Club's secrets are slowly revealed, and its members become more and more dangerous, Charlotte realizes that her only course of action is to destroy the club; but even if such a thing were possible, would she truly be able to rescue James?

I find that I really can't talk about this book without mentioning one significant spoiler, so please STOP READING NOW if you don't want to know anything else about the plot of this book! ... If you're still interested, here goes: this book is about vampires. I mention it because there is nothing in the book's description or on the cover blurb about them, yet they are central to the entire book! Personally, I'm not a big fan of vampire novels and would not have picked up this book if I'd known they would be such a big part of the plot. That said, I actually really liked it a lot; Owen is a wonderful writer, and I found the novel a real page-turner despite the fact that it's over 500 pages long. In fact, my other complaint is that it could probably have ended a few chapters before it did. I wasn't a huge fan of the (largely depressing) ending, and I would have liked a little happiness for the main characters in the end, after they'd suffered so much. Still, this is a very accomplished gothic novel, and I'd definitely consider reading more by Lauren Owen.

Awesome review of The Quick, Christina! I for one thank you for mentioning what you categorized as a significant spoiler because I was trying to decide if I wanted to read this one or not. Victorian England and crumbling estates always suck me in - no pun intended! - as does a good gothic story so I think I will add this one to my future reading list, informed with the information you have provided.

Thanks, Lori! I was debating whether to use LT's spoiler function, but I figured that most people would want to know about this particular spoiler, since people seem to have strong feelings about it! But I hope you do enjoy The Quick...it would be a perfect Halloween read!

Thank you for the review of The Quick especially the spoilers. You had me interested in the first paragraph and then the mention of the spoiler hooked me. :-)

>44 craso: I'm glad the spoiler worked for you, Caroline! In that case, you should definitely read the book. :)

Book #31: Anne Sexton, Transformations
Category: Magic Man (4/11)
CATs: Random (poetry)

This book is a collection of poetry, and I don't really know how to review it, or even whether "reviewing" is appropriate for something that is supposed to strike you in a fundamental, visceral way. The poems are all re-imaginings of fairy tales as told by the Brothers Grimm, and Sexton uses the old stories to shed light on modern themes and concerns. For example, here's the end of "Cinderella":

Cinderella and the prince
lived, they say, happily ever after,
like two dolls in a museum case
never bothered by diapers or dust,
never arguing over the timing of an egg,
never telling the same story twice,
never getting a middle-aged spread,
their darling smiles pasted on for eternity.
Regular Bobbsey Twins.
That story.

The stories are all set in that quasi-medieval fairytale past, which is interestingly juxtaposed with some very modern language. When the witch in "Hansel and Gretel" is cooked in the oven, "Her blood began to boil up / like Coca-Cola." When the prince in "Cinderella" tries the glass slipper on every maiden in the kingdom, the narrator observes, "The prince was getting tired. / He began to feel like a shoe salesman."

All in all, this collection didn't make a huge impact on me, but I would recommend it to people who like poetry and fairy tales. I'd definitely like to read more of Anne Sexton's work!

Happy Easter to you, Christina!

>47 PawsforThought: Thank you! :)

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend...I certainly did! My parents came for a visit, and we had a nice, relaxing holiday. But now it's back to the daily grind, unfortunately!

Glad to see you had a nice, relaxing time with your parents. I hate the "back to the daily grind" that occurs at the end of time off. ;-)

>49 lkernagh: It's not fun! And for some reason, the more time off I have, the harder it is to go back...

>50 christina_reads: Agreed! And for me at least, when I visit my parents for Easter, I usually take the Tuesday off as well for coming back home (less stressful, fewer people on the train). This year, though, I came back on Monday, but my brain did not get the memo and was still in vacation mode today.

>51 rabbitprincess: Smart idea to come back the day after everyone else. Of course, I didn't get Monday off, so I was back to work right away! But I did use 2 vacation days so that I could have Holy Thursday and Good Friday off.

Book #32: Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, Roseanna (trans. Lois Roth)
Category: Private Eyes (4/9)
CATs: Mystery (Nordic: set in Sweden)

This book begins in the summer of 1965, when a dead body is dredged up from the bottom of a Swedish lake. The corpse is female and naked, with no clothing, jewelry, or personal effects of any kind. The police determine that she was raped and strangled to death, but they have absolutely no clue as to her identity, much less the murderer's. Police inspector Martin Beck launches an investigation with the help of his colleagues; after weeks of diligent searching, they are able to identify the woman as Roseanna McGraw, an American woman who was touring Sweden by cruise. Slowly, Beck and the other policemen begin to piece together Roseanna's final days, and with help from the American police, they are able to learn something about her character as well. Beck gradually begins to form an opinion about the personality of the murderer, and sifting through the scanty data gives him a specific suspect. But due to the lack of hard evidence in the case, Beck and his colleagues must set a daring, and dangerous, trap.

I'm a big fan of the mystery genre in general, but I tend to gravitate toward mysteries in which the reader is able to solve the crime right alongside the detective. This book is definitely not like that, but it offers a fascinating alternative perspective on what a mystery novel can be. The focus isn't on the victim's character or on a list of potential suspects who can be eliminated one by one; rather, it's a very realistic portrayal of how police investigations actually work, with all the tedium and frustration and dead ends they entail. One detail I loved is how the case actually took the policemen months to solve, and how they were also working on other cases in the meantime. Interestingly, Beck's personality is basically irrelevant, and we don't learn much about him even though this is the first book in "his" series. Crime-solving is much more of a communal endeavor in this novel than it is in the (predominantly) British and American mysteries I've read -- indicating a broader cultural difference, I suspect! Be that as it may, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to mystery lovers, even though it was a departure from my normal reading experience.

Sjöwall and Wahlöö's goal was to write as realistically as possible about police procedure, so "mission accomplished." :)

>54 -Eva-: Haha, I'd say definitely yes!

I just noticed that I've read EXACTLY one-third of the books I need to read for this challenge. Since the first third of the year will be over at the end of April, I'm right on track! :)

Also, I am participating in Dewey's 24-hour read-a-thon today (although I certainly won't be reading for all 24 hours!). If you are too, let me know where you're documenting your progress so that I can stop by! I'm updating my blog every few hours, here.

Book #33: Ismail Kadare, Broken April (trans. from the Albanian)
Category: Born to Run (4/12)
CATs: Geo (Eastern Europe: set in Albania)

In the remote mountains of Albania, communities live by the ancient rule of the Kanun, a code of conduct that governs every aspect of their lives. The most important part of the Kanun is the rules for blood feuding, which is an integral part of mountain life. Such feuds can endure for centuries and affect every aspect of the community. At the beginning of this novel, Gyorg is lying in wait to kill the man who killed his brother, in accordance with the dictates of the blood feud. But once he kills the man, his own life will be forfeit after a 30-day truce. Now living under a sentence of death, Gyorg travels throughout the countryside musing on the Kanun, fate, and his own impending death. Meanwhile, newlyweds Bessian and Diana have (unconventionally) decided to honeymoon in the wild Albanian mountains, to learn more about this harsh, rule-governed way of life. But while they start out as tourists, their exposure to the rules of the Kanun eventually changes them both in unexpected ways.

This is a very slow-paced, meditative novel that focuses entirely on the Kanun and the different characters' responses to it. The visitors, especially Bessian, simultaneously romanticize the practice of blood feuding and regard it as a quaint, outdated custom. Gyorg, whose life is more directly affected, wishes he could somehow survive but views the Kanun as inevitable and unchangeable. I liked how Kadare shows the custom from these varying perspectives, so that the reader gets a fuller picture of what it actually means for the people involved. Something else I found particularly fascinating is that the novel is set between the two World Wars, when Albania was a monarchy, but Kadare wrote it in the 1970s, when the country was under Soviet control. So perhaps his exploration of the Kanun is indirectly a critical examination of a different set of harsh, all-encompassing laws. All in all, I found this book a very interesting window into a foreign (to me) culture, and I'd recommend it to people who find the premise interesting.

April recap:

Once again, I only read 8 books this month instead of my target of 9. But since I got ahead of the game in January, I've still read an average of 9 books a month, so no harm done! :) Hopefully I can step up my game a little bit going forward. But anyway, here's what I read in April:

1. Polly Shulman, The Grimm Legacy -- "Magic Man" 3 of 11
2. Lauren Owen, The Quick -- "Got to Get You into My Life" 5 of 10
3. Anne Sexton, Transformations -- "Magic Man" 4 of 11
4. Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö, Roseanna -- "Private Eyes" 4 of 9
5. Ismail Kadare, Broken April -- "Born to Run" 4 of 12
6. B.J. Novak, One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories -- "Got to Get You into My Life" 6 of 10
7. Kristan Higgins, Waiting on You -- "Got to Get You into My Life" 7 of 10
8. Sharon Kay Penman, The Sunne in Splendour -- "Reelin' in the Years" 3 of 14

Total # pages: 3,164 (grand total: 13,851)

Favorite book of the month: I really enjoyed One More Thing -- it's such a witty, creative, sharp collection of short stories!

Least favorite: The Grimm Legacy -- I loved the premise, but the book was just too juvenile for me.

Onward to May! My goal is NOT to read any 900-page books this month. :)

My goal is NOT to read any 900-page books this month. :)

Sounds like a good goal to me!

56> Congratulations! I'm about 4-5 books behind, but I hope to catch up later this month. Maybe over the long weekend.

>59 lkernagh: Lori, I'm really finding myself in need of some light, fun reading!

>60 BookLizard: Thanks! I hope you are able to catch up this month. I shudder to think about how far behind on reviews I am!

My Thingaversary is coming up on May 11 (8 years!!!), but my library's semi-annual sale is this weekend, so I decided to celebrate a little prematurely! :) Here's what I bought yesterday and today:



Evelyn Waugh, The Loved One -- Supposed to be one of his funniest books, and it's dedicated to Nancy Mitford! I have a craving to read this back-to-back with Mitford's The Blessing, which she dedicated to Waugh. But would such reciprocity create a tear in the space-time continuum?

Donna Moore, Old Dogs -- Someone here on LT recommended this to me, so when I saw it on the shelves, I snatched it up! I do love a good caper.

Elisabeth Sanxay Holding, The Innocent Mrs. Duff / The Blank Wall -- Did I hear about this author on LT or elsewhere? I can't remember…at any rate, she's supposed to be one of the pioneering novelists of suspense.

Jennifer Robson, Somewhere in France -- I'd been eyeing this WWI-era novel in Barnes & Noble, so I'm glad I had the chance to pick it up for a much lower price!

Sophie Kinsella, I've Got Your Number -- Read this a couple years ago and thought that it was one of Kinsella's best books.

Georgette Heyer, Simon the Coldheart -- I'm only a few Heyers away from a complete collection at this point!

Georgette Heyer, The Grand Sophy -- I actually already had a copy of this one. *blush* But it's my favorite Heyer, and this edition is nicer and has a prettier cover!

Paula Byrne, The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things -- I do love me some Austen, and I've read and enjoyed some of Byrne's other work, so this one should be a winner!

Total cost: $24, and everything is in very good shape! I didn't get my Thingaversary "one to grow on," but I still have a few more days to make that happen. :)

Happy early Thingaversary! Eight years, wow! I really liked The Loved One (more after I read it...it took its time and crept up on me). And if you do create a hole in the time-space continuum, the Doctor will fix it ;)

Your Thingaversary is only 10 days before mine! (It'll be my 8th as well.) I'm doing the same thing: early shopping at the library book sale. Since I'm going on half price day, I'll probably end up with way more than nine books, though. At 25 cents apiece for paperbacks, I can afford to buy something I might not like.

Your "new" books do look to be in very good condition. Enjoy them!

I'm thinking of reading The Grand Sophy for the mystery cat this month.

Happy Thingaversary! I know, I am a few days early but love the Thingaversary books you acquired! I think I am the guilty party for the Elisabeth Sanxay Holding acquisition. I hope you enjoy both stories.... I have yet to read The Blank Wall but I am rather happy to see that her books can still be found as a result of a more modern print run. ;-)

Happy premature Thingaversary! And congrats on the very nice haul.

Congratulations on your 8th Thingaversary, Christina. You've picked up some great books and still have one to go. Just the spines of both the Heyers make me want to see the covers.

>63 rabbitprincess: Haha, good point! I finally decided to start "Doctor Who" (starting with the reboot and the Ninth Doctor)...should really get back to it one of these days!

>64 casvelyn: Happy upcoming Thingaversary to you as well! :) I ended up getting a few more books on half-price day too, so I've exceeded my Thingaversary quota...not that I mind!

>65 hailelib: Thanks -- I'm excited about my acquisitions!

>66 dudes22: While Heyer did write several mysteries, The Grand Sophy is one of her romances. But it's a really good book, so I don't want to discourage you from reading it!

>67 lkernagh: Haha, I should have known you were to blame for my Elisabeth Sanxay Holding BB, Lori! I think I've also seen her name on a few book blogs I read. And of course, that's really all it takes for me to get interested in an author!

>68 RidgewayGirl: Thank you!

>69 DeltaQueen50: Can't post the Heyer covers now, since I'm at work, but I will do it tonight if you're curious! :)

I've been able to see Simon the Cold Heart here on LT, but I don't know if any of the covers shown here match the The Grand Sophy so I would love to see that one, please.

Just for you, DQ, here it is! :)

So obviously I went back to the book sale on Sunday (half-price day!). I didn't go too crazy, but I did snag the following:



L.C. Tyler, The Herring-Seller’s Apprentice and Ten Little Herrings — Frankly, it was the titles that sold me on these! Also, the publisher’s blurb indicated that “fans of the Golden Age of mystery and truly intelligent cozies” would like them. Sold!

Emma Straub, Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures — I love old movies from the glory days of Hollywood, yet somehow I’ve read few (if any!) books set in that world.

Caroline Preston, The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures — I remember seeing this in a bookstore and admiring it, but I didn’t want to spend so much money on what was essentially a novelty book. But for $1.50, why not?

And that is officially the last book sale post -- until October, at any rate!

I'm rather jealous. Only one local library has had their sale so far. My favorite one is not until Jun, but I wish some of the others would have theirs.

I've heard good things about Tyler's Herrings series. They're on my TBR, which probably means I'll get around to reading them in five years or so!

>74 dudes22: I can never find out when other local libraries are holding their sales! I'm lucky because the library closest to me is the main branch for my county; but there are surely a lot of other branches (and neighboring counties) with library sales! Yet for some reason, I never know when they are happening.

>75 casvelyn: Haha, I know exactly what you mean! I doubt I will get to the Herrings books anytime soon either!

Thanks for posting the Georgette Heyer cover, it is indeed very nice. You've got yourself some great books from the library sale.

I found The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt to be a delightful eye candy read. $1.50 is a good price!

Christina - the local once-a-week paper has a library column that lists everything going on at the local libraries which is where I usually find out.

>77 DeltaQueen50: You're welcome -- and thanks! :)

>78 lkernagh: I'm definitely looking forward to the pretty pretty pictures!

>79 dudes22: That's a good tip, thanks!

Some people might find booksalefinder.com helpful.

>81 hailelib: Haha, I should probably have thought of the obvious! :) I think I did come across that site once before...and forced a friend to go to a book sale with me while I was visiting her!

Book #34: B.J. Novak, One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories
Category: Got to Get You into My Life (6/10)
CATs: none

In this collection of (very) short stories, B.J. Novak -- formerly a writer, producer, and actor on the US version of "The Office" -- uses his comedic imagination to ask a variety of hypothetical questions. What if the hare who lost the fabled race to the tortoise became obsessed with thoughts of a rematch? What if the handsome man you met in a bar turned out to be a brutally violent African warlord? What if you could literally hold a mirror up to Earth? And what if Chris Hansen, of "To Catch a Predator" fame, were forced to go to a Justin Bieber concert at the insistence of his tween daughter? Novak answers these questions and many more in his debut collection of funny, dark, ridiculous, and often poignant stories.

The first thing to say about these stories is that most of them are very short, some no more than a page or two. So most of the stories don't have time to delve deeply into plot or character; rather, they focus sharply on a single joke or idea (see, for example, "The Comedy Central Roast of Nelson Mandela" or "The Market Was Down"). In that sense, it's easy to see the influence of Novak's TV background. However, even if you aren't a fan of "The Office" or its style of comedy, you should still find plenty to enjoy in this book! I was very impressed by how smart Novak obviously is; clever wordplay and literary allusions abound. Several of the stories are laugh-out-loud funny, but the comedy is often followed by a swift stab to the gut. One story in particular, "The Ghost of Mark Twain," gave me chills. Overall, I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this book, but I was very pleasantly surprised!

I was fortunate to be able to attend a book signing with Novak at which he read a few of the stories out loud. Having heard the stories in his own voice, I would strongly recommend the audiobook to those of you who enjoy that format. Apparently Novak reads many of the stories himself, although there are some "special guest appearances" by other actors such as Mindy Kaling and Lena Dunham.

Wow, eight years on LT! That's definitely worth celebrating. Nice book haul.

I hope you enjoy all your new books. In the meantime they will look good lined up on your shelf.

>84 mathgirl40: Thanks! I can't quite believe it's been 8 years.

>85 Roro8: I soooo need to re-organize my bookshelves...it's getting ridiculous!

Book #35: Kristan Higgins, Waiting on You
Category: Got to Get You into My Life (7/10)
CATs: none

This third installment of the Blue Heron series features Colleen O'Rourke, co-owner of the local bar in the small town of Manningsport, New York. Colleen is beautiful, popular, and kind, with a penchant for matchmaking. But while she loves getting other people together, she hasn't experienced a romance of her own in years -- not since her first love, Lucas Campbell, broke her heart. When bad-boy Lucas moved to Manningsport during Colleen's senior year of high school, she was smitten immediately, and they soon embarked on a passionate, intense relationship. They stayed together despite going to different colleges, and Colleen was convinced that Lucas was her one and only. But shortly after a breakup as unexpected as it was ugly, Colleen heard that Lucas had married someone else. But now Lucas is back in town, and his presence is stirring up some familiar feelings. Do Colleen and Lucas have a second chance, or will she get hurt all over again?

While I really enjoy Kristan Higgins' contemporary romances, this book wasn't one of my favorites. I think the biggest problem, for me, was the choppy timeline; it seemed like at least half the book took place in flashback, showing how Colleen and Lucas first met and fell in love. Both characters also have very involved backstories -- Lucas' tough childhood where he always felt like an outsider, Colleen's reaction to her parents' difficult divorce -- and I didn't quite get invested in them. I think these backstories were supposed to give the characters depth and make them sympathetic, but to me they felt a bit clichéd. Don't get me wrong -- this is a fun, light, romantic read, and I'd certainly recommend it to fans of contemporary romance. It's just not my favorite of Higgins' books, and I'm hoping that she will wrap up the Blue Heron series soon and move on to new endeavors. That said, I wouldn't mind a book featuring Colleen's brother Connor as the hero!

Book #36: Sharon Kay Penman, The Sunne in Splendour
Category: Reelin' in the Years (3/14)
CATs: none

When most people think of Richard III, they picture a hunchbacked villain who was obsessed with being king and who murdered the princes in the Tower as a result. But in this novel, the last Plantagenet king is portrayed in a very different light: Richard (or Dickon, as most characters call him) is noble and loyal to a fault, and these good traits are ultimately what cause his downfall. The novel begins with Dickon's childhood, when his father, the Duke of York, is killed in the war against the Lancastrian Henry VI. Dickon's oldest brother Edward subsequently takes his father's place in leading the Yorkist faction against Henry; eventually, he is crowned as Edward IV, and Dickon becomes one of his most trusted advisers and most skilled battle commanders. But as Edward obtains more and more power, Dickon becomes disillusioned with his brother's morally questionable choices, and the struggle of brother against brother mirrors the broader conflict between York and Lancaster.

As always, in this book Sharon Kay Penman manages to bring the Middle Ages to life. I always enjoy her vivid descriptions of daily life during this period, as well as her depictions of medieval religion, warfare, and politics. This book in particular is a fascinating political study, showing that the cutthroat nature of modern politics is rooted in a long tradition. I also like the fact that this novel approaches Richard III from a countercultural perspective. While I don't know enough about the subject to judge whether Penman's interpretation is justified, it makes sense to me that Henry Tudor (who acceded to the throne after Richard's death) would want to do everything in his power to discredit his predecessor. It's always important to remember that history is written by the victors! All in all, I heartily recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Richard III, the War of the Roses, or the Middle Ages in general.

Book #37: Juliet Marillier, Blade of Fortriu
Category: Magic Man (5/11)
CATs: none

In this sequel to The Dark Mirror, King Bridei of the Priteni believes his mission is to eradicate the Gaels and their Christian religion from his lands. He is a strong king, brave in battle and devout in his allegiance to the old gods, so he's the ideal person to unite the Priteni against this outside threat. Bridei is planning a big move against the Gaels, but in order to succeed, he needs the help of a foreign chieftain named Alpin. Bridei therefore proposes to offer his royal hostage, Ana, to Alpin as a bride, hoping this will ensure his loyalty. Ana longs to marry for love, but she knows she has no choice in the matter. She sets out for Alpin's lands in the company of Faolan, Bridei's most trusted bodyguard, spy, and assassin. As Ana and Faolan travel together, their relationship deepens, but she is already promised to Alpin. And when she finally arrives at Alpin's court, Ana discovers a shocking secret that will have drastic implications for both Bridei's campaign and her own heart.

Much like its predecessor, The Dark Mirror, this book is very slow-paced, and I had trouble getting into it as a result. I find the world of this series fascinating; it's based on historical facts (the Priteni were real, and Bridei really was their king for a time), but Marillier weaves many fantastical elements into the setting. Half the novel focuses on Ana's story, while the other half follows Bridei's campaign against the Gaels. Personally, I was much more interested in Ana's story, especially since I always enjoy a little romance with my fantasy! Interestingly, the story seems very predictable at first, but it eventually veers into an unexpected direction. I wasn't entirely pleased with the resolution of Ana's story, but it does provide some interesting avenues to explore in the final book of the trilogy. I'll definitely be reading The Well of Shades to see how everything turns out, but I don't think this series is Marillier's best work. Try her Sevenwaters books instead!

Christina, I've posted my Thingaversary book sale haul on my thread. Thirteen books!

>90 casvelyn: Haha, you beat me by one! Hopping over to your thread to see your haul...

Just catching up here. Nice Thingaversary book haul! I'm glad I'm not too late to wish you a Happy Thingaversary!

>92 cbl_tn: Thank you! Technically, you're even early with the Thingaversary wishes...I just jumped the gun with the book sale! :)

I just jumped the gun with the book sale!

As is only right and good.

Happy "Official" Thingaversary!

>95 hailelib: Why thank you! I celebrated by...reading a library book, lol.

Book #38: Jessica Brockmole, Letters from Skye
Category: Reelin' in the Years (4/14)
CATs: Random (motherhood)

This epistolary novel tells two parallel love stories, each set against the backdrop of a world war. In 1912, Scottish poet Elspeth Dunn receives a fan letter from David Graham, an exuberant young American. Elspeth replies to the letter, and she and Davey soon strike up a regular correspondence. At first they discuss literature and their favorite books, but soon they're exchanging ideas about everything under the sun, including their most secret dreams. Unsurprisingly, Elspeth and Davey fall in love, but their romance is fraught with complications. When America enters World War I, Davey enlists immediately as an ambulance driver on the battlefields of France. Additionally, Elspeth is already married, so her stolen moments with Davey are as fleeting as they are precious. Meanwhile, in 1940, Elspeth's daughter Margaret -- also involved in a wartime romance -- stumbles upon one of Davey's letters and decides to search for the secrets in her mother's past.

In theory, I should love this book, since it combines a lot of my favorite things: epistolary novel, WWI and WWII setting, love stories, family secrets. But while I found it an entertaining read, my overall experience was somewhat disappointing. First of all, the story is really about Elspeth and Davey, so the parts about Margaret felt very cursory and not fleshed out at all. I would have liked to know a lot more about her reactions to her mother's secret, as well as the details of her own romance. Also, the story itself seems very superficial, given the gravity of the WWI backdrop. Even though I enjoy light romances with happy endings, I felt like this book lacked emotional stakes. Elspeth and Davey are likeable characters, and their letters are often very charming, but I was never in any real doubt about the end result of their story. Maybe part of my problem is that this book seems like a copycat of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, only not nearly as good! Overall, this book is a nice, quick read, but it won't stay with me the way Guernsey has.

>97 christina_reads: - It sounds like you enjoyed Guernsey more than I did whereas I appear to have enjoyed Letters from Skye more than you. ;-)

>98 lkernagh: Haha, well, that's fair. I wonder if my opinion of Guernsey would change with a re-read. I remember really loving it, but it's been a few years since I read it.

>46 christina_reads: Hi, Transformations seems to be the kind of poetry which is accessible for the 'non-initié' so it's going on the BB list.

>97 christina_reads: I absolutely loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I've read it three times now and it's always a pleasure. I've already had a BB for Letters from Skye last year and I'll have to see if I've the same feeling :)

Happy belated Thingaversary !

>98 lkernagh:. I second that view Lori. Lucky for writers we all have different preferences

>100 electrice: I do think Anne Sexton would be a good choice for poetry newbies, since she doesn't use a partiuclarly "poetic" style. And I hope you enjoy Letters from Skye when you get to it!

>101 Roro8: Very true! And lucky for us that there are so many different types of writers and books out there!

Just curious -- is anyone else going to Book Expo America next week? I've been planning this trip for months, and I'm so excited! There are a lot of really intriguing talks and events, and some great authors will be autographing books, including Elizabeth Wein and Maggie Stiefvater! AND Cary Elwes, and Amy Poehler, and Billy Idol. BILLY IDOL, you guys! So that is how I'm spending next week, and I'm looking forward to an amazing time! :) If you're going too, please let me know -- would be great to meet some LT-ers in person!

Cary Elwes! Lady Jane was my favorite movie as a teen-ager. Enjoy!

Happy belated Thingaversary!

I am a little intrigued by The Quick - mostly because I am also not a fan of vampire stories, so when one is recommended by another non-fan, it intrigues. I found The Historian that way as well.

>103 christina_reads: & >104 RidgewayGirl: Cary Elwes! Oh, my poor, poor heart!

>104 RidgewayGirl: Ooh, I've never seen "Lady Jane"...I'll have to check that out! My Cary Elwes love stems almost entirely from "The Princess Bride." :)

>105 nittnut: Thank you! I've never read The Historian, so I can't really compare the two, but if you like novels with a gothic Victorian setting, you'll probably enjoy The Quick.

>106 PawsforThought: Haha, I'll be thinking of you! :)

Book #39: Elizabeth Peters, Borrower of the Night
Category: Private Eyes (5/9)
CATs: none

This novel introduces Vicky Bliss, a confident, no-nonsense art historian and professor at a small Midwestern university. She and her colleague/boyfriend Tony stumble across a clue to a lost work by Tilman Riemenschneider, a 16th-century German woodcarver. They decide to embark on a friendly competition to see who can discover the artifact first -- a competition Vicky is determined to win. She sets off immediately for the supposed location of the artifact, Castle Drachenstein in Rothenburg, Germany. Unfortunately, Tony is hot on her trail, along with several other parties interested in recovering the lost masterwork. As Vicky and her competitors begin their search, they soon realize that something is amiss at Castle Drachenstein, and the root of the trouble lies in the distant past. Is the castle being haunted by the ghost of a former countess, or is there a less supernatural explanation for the danger Vicky finds herself in?

I've read and enjoyed the first few books in the Amelia Peabody series, so I was interested to try this series as well. Overall, I thought it was a fun read and a pretty decent mystery. The emphasis wasn't so much on the "whodunit" aspect of things; rather, the novel focuses on the suspense and danger evoked by the gothic setting. In that respect, I was reminded a lot of Mary Stewart's novels (which I also really enjoy), and the archaelogical aspect of the plot called to mind "Indiana Jones." I also liked reading about Vicky, whose sassy comments and progressive (in the 1970s) views always seemed to stir up trouble. I didn't always like or agree with her, but she was consistently amusing! Overall, I found this book a fun read and will definitely be picking up the sequels at some point.

Happy belated Thingaversary. I would have celebrated mine in January if I'd have been around.

Book #40: Timeri N. Murari, The Taliban Cricket Club
Category: Born to Run (5/12)
CATs: Geo (South Asia: set in Afghanistan)

The heroine of this novel is Rukhsana, an intelligent, independent young woman fighting for survival under the Taliban regime in Kabul. A former journalist, Rukhsana is no longer allowed to work, but she still manages to publish stories in foreign newspapers by using a pseudonym. When she is summoned to appear before a Taliban minister, she fears she's been discovered; but to her surprise, the minister simply announces that Afghanistan will be holding a cricket tournament in three weeks, and the winning team will be leaving the country to compete with other teams around the world. Rukhsana seizes this opportunity to escape by convincing her brother and other male relatives to form a cricket team. Women are not allowed to play, but Rukhsana is familiar with the game from her time as a university student in Delhi. Will she be able to coach her team to victory and freedom, or will her rebellion have dire consequences for herself and her family?

This is a book I should have loved, and I'm a little confused about why it didn't quite work for me. The premise is certainly compelling, and I was very interested in learning about daily life in Afghanistan under the Taliban. But while the picture Murari paints is certainly bleak, I didn't connect to it on an emontional level; I believed the book's depiction of a lives full of fear and oppression, but I didn't feel it. The book frequently mentions that Rukhsana and her family are in grave danger, but we hardly ever see that danger firsthand, so the suspense doesn't really build. I also think Rukhsana's conflict is a bit too superficial or simplistic...she views the burka as a prison and hates the Taliban with every fiber of her being. Now, I'm not defending the Taliban, but I think having a little moral ambiguity in some of the characters would have made this a stronger novel. I did enjoy the contrast between the world of cricket, with its notions of order and fair play, and the world of war-torn Kabul. But overall, I was hoping to connect with this book more than I did.

>110 AHS-Wolfy: Wolfy, happy belated Thingaversary to you as well!

Have a great time at the Book Expo America next week. I admit to being just a little green. ;)

Happy belated Thingaversary from me too!! Have a great time at the Book Expo!

Thanks for the well-wishes, Judy and Eva! BEA is over, and I'll be going home tomorrow, so I'll finally be able to catch up with LT (and show off my swag)!

Swag?! Looking forward to the swag and hearing about your adventures at BEA!

Ooh, excited to see the swag!

OOOH! Swag!

May recap:

Well, I'm back from Book Expo America with a suitcase full of books (literally), 4 new tote bags, and an array of bookmarks, buttons, and other assorted swag. :) Overall, it was a really good experience, and I'll be sure to post a bit more about it within the next few days! One of my favorite things about the trip was that, due to train rides and so forth, I had lots of uninterrupted reading time! Here's what I read in May:

1. Juliet Marillier, Blade of Fortriu -- "Magic Man" 5 of 11
2. Jessica Brockmole, Letters from Skye -- "Reelin' in the Years" 4 of 14
3. Elizabeth Peters, Borrower of the Night -- "Private Eyes" 5 of 9
4. Timeri N. Murari, The Taliban Cricket Club -- "Born to Run" 5 of 12
5. Diana Peterfreund, Across a Star-Swept Sea -- "Mr. Roboto" 4 of 8
6. Michael Innes, Death at the President’s Lodging -- "Golden Years" 2 of 6
7. Jean Kwok, Mambo in Chinatown -- "Got to Get You into My Life" 8 of 10
8. Elizabeth Wein, Rose Under Fire -- "Blitzkrieg Bop" 3 of 7
9. E.F. Benson, Mrs. Ames -- "London Calling" 2 of 5
10. William Ritter, Jackaby -- "Got to Get You into My Life" 9 of 10
11. Morgan Matson, Since You’ve Been Gone -- "Got to Get You into My Life" 10 of 10

Total # pages: 3,769 (grand total: 17,620)

Favorite book of the month: This one is tough, because I actually really enjoyed most of these books! I think I have to go with Jackaby, because it was just such a fun romp -- and it doesn't hurt that the titular character shares several qualities with a certain BBC Sherlock!

Least favorite: Hmm, probably Blade of Fortriu, because I thought the pace dragged, and I wasn't terribly satisfied by the romance.

I'm very happy with my progress this month, especially since I finished another category! "Got to Get You into My Life," a.k.a. books published in 2014, is now full. Luckily I can move most of my leftover candidates into other categories!

*pricks up ears at BBC Sherlock reference* Going to have to investigate this Jackaby fellow! Thanks for mentioning that aspect ;)

Glad to hear you had a great time at Book Expo! And hurray for book swag!

>120 rabbitprincess: Haha, I thought that would get you! :) The book comes out in September, I think.

Congrats on finishing up another category! I am a little jealous of all this Booktopia and Book Expo stuff. Feel like I need to find a Book Something to go to. :) Can't wait to hear more.

I am officially EIGHT reviews behind, you guys! This stresses me out. However, I did finally write a recap of my first day at Book Expo America…it's at my blog if you want to read the whole long ramble. If you just want to see the books, well, here they are. :)



I've already read Jackaby, which I really enjoyed!

Anyway, I'm doing a series of posts on BEA at my blog, so I'll be posting the links (and book pictures!) here as well. Stay tuned for more additions to my teetering TBR pile!

>123 christina_reads: Those piling reviews are always a bother. I usually tell myself to try and do a sweep of very short, sharp reviews, but once I start writing I find they tend up their ordinary format nevertheless. I admire those of my fellow LT:ers who can do a great summing up in two lines.

Love how you are taking pics of the spines of the books. After all, that is how we see them most of the time. I cherish my books with great looking spines, almost more so than the ones witn "just" a great cover!

>122 nittnut: Well, if you're interested in Book Expo America, they've already released the dates for 2015... ;)

>124 GingerbreadMan: I also wish I could do a bunch of two-sentence reviews to catch up! But I would feel really weird about deviating from my normal format, so I'll just have to plug away at them this week! And I like taking pictures of the spines, too -- it's a lot easier than taking pictures of every cover, especially when I have big stacks to show off!

Don't feel bad; at least you're not 9 reviews behind like I am. I plan on writing them tomorrow.

>125 christina_reads: Ha! I wish. I could probably make Book Expo New Zealand or Australia...

>126 casvelyn: Wow, 9 reviews in one day? Very impressive! I think I'm going to shoot for 2 per night over 4 nights...we'll see how that goes! :)

>127 nittnut: Haha, fair enough!

>128 christina_reads: Yep! They're all done and on my thread. I write short reviews, so it's not too difficult.

>129 casvelyn: Wow, good for you! Thus far I have written zero of my eight. *blush*

So despite my ongoing lack of reviews, I have been busily writing up my thoughts on BEA! The long version of what happened at Day 2 is at my blog. The short version is, I got Billy Idol's autograph!



And here's my Day 2 haul:



I'm most excited about Landline (which Rainbow Rowell signed, yay!), although Missing Reels also looks really good. Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze some of these new books into my challenge!

I love that you have posted your BEA commentary and swag in stages. Great book haul and I am still reeling from the fact that Billy Idol was present at BEA as a signing author.

Awesome haul, and I know what I'm getting my friend for her birthday - (she loves memoirs of 80s icons).

What a fantastic book haul! And Billy Idol, too!

I am living vicariously through your book haul. Did Billy Idol smirk for you?

>132 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori! And yeah, I was pretty shocked that Billy Idol was there also!

>133 BookLizard: I hope your friend enjoys her gift! :) I'm sure Billy Idol's memoir will be interesting.

>134 RidgewayGirl: Thanks, RG!

>135 nittnut: Billy Idol smirked for EVERYONE. I think his face may have frozen like that. :)

My books from Day 3 of BEA! As always, my thoughts/rambles are at my blog.



I've already read Since You've Been Gone and Mortal heart, and they were both really good! Looking forward to My Life in Middlemarch as well.

Oh, I've been thinking about reading My Life in Middlemarch. I'll be curious to see what you think!

>138 japaul22: I'm definitely intrigued by it! Of course, I really liked Middlemarch, so I'm an easy sell. :) The author, Rebecca Mead, was actually at BEA and moderated a panel about the different ways in which female-authored books are perceived, criticized, and marketed (as opposed to male-authored books).

I've added My Life in Middlemarch to my wish list based on the description alone. Am slightly jealous.

>140 RidgewayGirl: I'm excited about the book, although not quite sure what to expect...looks like it might be part literary criticism, part memoir?

OK, this is my last post about BEA, I promise! The highlight of Day 4 was shaking Cary Elwes' hand (you can read all about it here!). I also saw Martin Short interviewing Amy Poehler about her upcoming memoir, Yes Please. I love "Parks and Rec," so it was a thrill to see Poehler in person!

And this is what my suitcase looked like on the ride home:



I had to cram all my clothes and toiletries into a backpack, but I made it work! :)

>142 christina_reads: shaking Cary Elwes' hand

You just had to go and make me jealous, didn't you?!

He looks good in that picture. We do need to talk about you touching my imaginary high school boyfriend, though. Lady Jane was a movie I may have watched more than once!

That's one well packed suitcase!

Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze some of these new books into my challenge!
Maybe you can just add a new category for these books!
What fun you had!

>143 PawsforThought: Muahaha! Paws, he was there signing an excerpt from his upcoming book! It's called As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride. So yeah, pretty much the best thing ever. :)

>144 RidgewayGirl: Haha, sorry, RG! I maybe (definitely) swooned a little.

>145 GingerbreadMan: I was really shocked that I got all the books to fit! But honestly, a lot of my fellow attendees got WAY more books than I did...people were bringing empty rolling suitcases with them to the convention center to fill with books! There was also a shipping service avaiable for people who just couldn't physically carry all of theirs. I'm happy I didn't need to go that route!

>146 mamzel: I know I'll be able to squeeze at least some of them into my existing categories. I'll just have to wait and read the rest in 2015! (Hmm, category idea...)

>147 christina_reads: Oh, goodness me. I'll try to remember to keep an eye out for that one when it comes out. TPB is one of my all time favourite films (my challenge for this year is centered around it!)

>148 PawsforThought: I know! I always smile when I click on your thread and see all the lovely "Princess Bride" quotes.

>149 christina_reads: :)

Book #41: Diana Peterfreund, Across a Star-Swept Sea
Category: Mr. Roboto (4/8)
CATs: none

In this post-apocalyptic retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel (!), Earth's civilization has been all but destroyed, thanks to the horrific unintended consequence of genetic engineering known as Reduction. Now, the island of Galatea seeks vengeance through revolution: aristocrats are being captured and forcibly Reduced, their minds irreparably damaged. Meanwhile, the neighboring island of Albion seems more interested in flirtation and gossip than in Galatea's problems -- except for the Wild Poppy, who daringly rescues Galatean aristocrats out from under the noses of the rebels. No one suspects that the Wild Poppy is really Persis Blake, a seemingly idle and frivolous courtier of Albion. In order to maintain her cover, Persis must befriend Justen Helo, a Galatean scientist whose family is famous for curing the initial Reduction. Justen seems to disagree with his country's violent policies, but can Persis trust him? And will she be able to maintain her cover as their relationship deepens?

The Scarlet Pimpernel is one of my all-time favorite books, so I was really excited to discover this retelling with a sci-fi twist! I think the novel does a good job of following the original story while not being a scene-for-scene copy. While the original novel is mostly told from Marguerite/Justen's point of view, this version is largely from the perspective of the Pimpernel character, Persis. In fact, one of the most fun aspects of this book is that the characters are gender-flipped! I did have one large-ish problem with the book, though; most of the larger narrative of How We Got To This Point was totally lost on me. There were some wars, and some people got Reduced, and the people who didn't became the new aristocrats, I think? To be fair, it's not that complicated...I'm afraid I just didn't want to pay that much attention! Still, I picked up enough to get the gist of things, so I guess it doesn't matter that much. Overall, I didn't love the book, but it's still a fun read for Pimpernel fans, especially those who also like YA.

Book #42: Michael Innes, Death at the President's Lodging
Category: Golden Years (2/6)
CATs: Mystery (Golden Age: published in 1936 -- I read this in May)

This first installment of the Inspector Appleby series is a classic locked-room mystery set in the fictional St. Anthony's college, where its president, Dr. Umpleby, has just been murdered. Because of the prominence of the victim, Inspector Appleby is summoned from Scotland Yard to assist the local police. He soon learns that the layout of the college would have made it impossible for someone without a key to access the scene of the crime. Therefore, suspicion centers around the other fellows of the college, most of whom either had a key or could easily obtain one. As Appleby begins his investigation, he notices strong tensions among these men and uncovers various professional rivalries. He also begins to realize that the case is cluttered with many side issues and diversions. But as he sifts the relevant facts from the distractions, Appleby eventually reaches a conclusion as bizarre as it is shocking.

I've now read two mysteries by Michael Innes, and what I've learned is that I love his solutions, but I'm not terribly fond of how he gets there! In most mysteries that I read, there's not a lot of irrelevant information; every fact the detective discovers is a clue. In this book, on the other hand, much of what Appleby discovers isn't relevant to the solution of the murder. This is certainly more realistic than, say, a Poirot mystery, but it made the reading experience more difficult for me. I also didn't like the relative lack of character delineation. It's been less than a month since I read this book, and already I couldn't tell you the main suspects' names! Nobody (including Appleby) has much personality, so the murder is more like a logic puzzle than a dramatic event involving actual human beings. All that said, I really did love the solution to this one, which got downright farcical in places! So overall, I'm glad I read this book, but I doubt I'll get sucked into the rest of the series -- which is probably a good thing!

Heeeee! Cary Elwes! Very nice. Also, A++ post title ;)

>131 christina_reads: I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea of Billy Idol at BEA.

Wow, Christina, that is one well packed suitcase! Glad that you had such a good time and were able to bring home such great "souveniers"!

>142 christina_reads: best suitcase ever!

>153 rabbitprincess: Haha, why thank you!

>154 VioletBramble: I was surprised too! Especially because he didn't actually interact much with the fans. He was basically just signing a big stack of excerpts from his book, and then his assistant (or whoever) was handing them out to everyone in the line. So I didn't get to interact with him personally at all! But oh well, it was still cool to get his autograph and sneak a picture.

>155 DeltaQueen50: Haha, the books really are my only "souvenirs" from New York! Or wait, I bought a magnet from the New York Public Library, so I guess there's that. :)

>156 nittnut: Thanks -- I agree!

Just catching up on your BEA haul. And Cary Elwes, too! I read Death at the President's Lodging years ago and don't remember anything about it, except its academic setting. I'm not sure if I've read anything else by Michael Innes. If I have, I don't remember it...

>158 cbl_tn: I'm pretty sure that all I'll remember of Death at the President's Lodging in future is the wonderful ending! To be honest, the rest of the book didn't make that big an impression. :-/

Book #43: Jean Kwok, Mambo in Chinatown
Category: Got to Get You into My Life (8/10)
CATs: none

Charlie Wong is a 22-year-old woman who lives with her Pa and her younger sister, Lisa, in New York City's Chinatown. Although Charlie has lived her entire life in the U.S., she has very little contact with the world outside Chinatown. She works as a dishwasher in the restaurant where Pa makes noodles, but she dreams of a different life; so when she learns that a ballroom dance studio is hiring a new receptionist, she jumps at the opportunity. At first, her impulsive decision seems disastrous -- she's too shy, her clothes are all wrong, and she has trouble reading and writing down the dancers' appointments. But when, due to a scheduling error, she is forced to teach an introductory class, Charlie realizes she has a gift for dancing. As Charlie learns more and more about ballroom, she also becomes more confident and optimistic about her future. But when her sister Lisa falls ill, and Pa will only use Eastern methods to treat her, Charlie wonders if she can truly reconcile her two different worlds.

This book is the literary equivalent of a feel-good movie; maybe it's not great literature, but it's entertaining and heartwarming. I really liked Charlie, even though her character arc is somewhat unbelievable (she goes from being a receptionist to a teacher in a matter of months!). She feels shy and perpetually clumsy, and she doesn't really know how to react to this unfamiliar world of ballroom dancing. Watching her struggle to open up and be more confident was a pleasure, and I felt I could relate to her to some extent. I also enjoyed the portrayal of the Chinese community in this book, as Charlie begins to question some aspects of her upbringing while embracing others. I especially liked that Pa, the voice of tradition in the novel, is portrayed as a sympathetic character even though he doesn't agree with all of Charlie's choices. There's also a sweet romance and a few tidbits about ballroom dancing, which I enjoyed. Overall, I'd recommend this to fans of chick lit or feel-good stories -- it definitely left me smiling!

Now, that's the way to pack a suitcase!!! :)

>161 -Eva-: I agree! :)

>142 christina_reads: - Good thing you had a backpack for your clothes! Nice packing job. ;-)

>163 lkernagh: On my way to NYC, I had my clothes/toiletries/etc in the suitcase, and the backpack was empty so that I could put all my new book acquisitions in it. I thought I was so clever...and then the people I met at BEA were like, "Haha, you foolish child." Obviously I had to do a little creative rearranging on my way home! :)

Book #44: Elizabeth Wein, Rose Under Fire
Category: Blitzkrieg Bop (3/7)
CATs: none (I read this in May)

Rose Justice is an American pilot who has just come to England to help with the war effort. Though women aren't allowed to fly planes in combat, she is able to get a job with the Women's Air Transport Auxiliary ferrying planes back and forth within Allied territory. At first Rose sees her work as a grand adventure, a fascinating change from her sheltered upbringing. But her life is instantly, horribly changed when she is captured by the Germans in the middle of a routine flight from France to England. She is immediately arrested and transported to the women's concentration camp at Ravensbrück. There Rose confronts the hideous realities of this war for the first time, including the brutal scientific experiments performed on a group of young women known as "rabbits." But depsite the horrific treatment Rose endures, she forges close bonds with a small group of fellow prisoners and somehow manages to hold onto hope.

This companion novel to Code Name Verity is equally powerful and moving, although it struck me in a very different way. I loved CNV for its suspense, its elements of espionage, and its intense portrayal of friendship. This book is not as suspenseful; we know from the start of Rose's narrative about Ravensbrück that she is remembering her experiences after she has escaped. It's also not as personal (if that's the word I want) because while Rose forms incredibly close bonds with her fellow prisoners, the emphasis is less on individual relationships and more on the experience of Ravensbrück as a whole. Neverthless, this book did strike me on a very deep personal level. It's easy to become a little desensitized to the atrocities committed by the Nazis, simply because we've heard about them so many times, but this book certainly made them vivid for me. The most horrifying thing is that similar atrocities are still occurring in parts of the world today. So this is not an easy read, but I think it's a very important one.

Book #45: E.F. Benson, Mrs. Ames
Category: London Calling (2/5)
CATs: none

This novel is a precisely drawn satire of life in an English village in the early 20th century. Mrs. Ames has been the leader of society in Riseborough for many years, due partly to her commanding presence and partly to her distant familial connection with a nobleman. The other residents of Riseborough both admire and resent her for her position, and many of the local gossips would be glad to see her fail in some way. So when a (relatively speaking) new arrival, Mrs. Evans, begins to set herself up as Mrs. Ames' social rival, the entire town waits with bated breath to see whether their queen will be dethroned. Meanwhile, both Mrs. Ames and Mrs. Evans dimly begin to realize that their lives are unfulfilling, but their search for deeper meaning takes them down drastically different paths, one of which may lead to scandal and heartbreak.

I expected this book to be nothing more than a light, witty comedy of manners -- which it is, but it also took a more serious turn than I anticipated. The various social machinations of the ladies of Riseborough are very funny; there's a particularly wonderful scene in which Mrs. Evans hosts a masquerade ball and several ladies (tragically, yet hilariously) show up wearing the same costume. But for me, the more compelling story was Mrs. Ames' slow realization that her dreary, respectable life isn't making her happy. It's only when she begins to identify with a cause greater than herself that she actually finds contentment -- even at the moment when all her respectability and social standing is taken away. So oddly enough, this comedy of manners turns into a coming-of-age story, and I found it a surprisingly thought-provoking read.

Mambo in Chinatown sounds like a book I'd like. My aunt lives in New York City, and I have fond memories of visiting its Chinatown in my youth.

I'm also very impressed by your book haul from BEA and your seeing Billy Idol there!

>167 mathgirl40: It'd be a great book to take on vacation! It's light, sweet, and totally undemanding. Cool that you also have a frame of reference for the setting!

Book #46: William Ritter, Jackaby
Category: Got to Get You into My Life (9/10)
CATs: none

Abigail Rook has just arrived in the New England town of New Fiddleham with nowhere to go and no way to earn a living. As she sits in a tavern and ponders her next move, she encounters a strange man who turns out to be R.F. Jackaby, a private investigator with an extraordinary gift for detecting paranormal activity. Abigail's talent for observation lands her a job as Jackaby's assistant, and she is immediately embroiled in the investigation of a gruesome murder. Jackaby is convinced that the killer is supernatural, but the police scoff at the very idea -- except for one young detective named Charlie Cane. With Cane's help, Jackaby and Abigail pursue the investigation, encountering a banshee, a helpful madwoman, and a possible bridge troll along the way. Meanwhile, Abigail relishes the excitement of her new job, but several people warn her to stay away from Jackaby. She wants to keep her job, but will it cost her her reputation -- or even her life?

Despite the fact that this book is classified as YA or even middle-grade, I really enjoyed it! The book is narrated by Abigail, a plucky protagonist who is suddenly thrown into a magical world with nothing but her wits to rely on. I like that she is basically ordinary; though smart and brave, she doesn't have superpowers, so she is very relatable as she encounters the surprises and challenges of this world. Jackaby is a really fun character as well, with more than a few similiarities to Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock Holmes! I also loved the richly imagined world of this novel, especially the random little gags that didn't have much to do with the main plot, such as the frog in Jackaby's office, or what happened to his former assistant. The mystery itself was fairly easy to solve -- I figured out whodunnit almost as soon as the guilty character was introduced -- but the fun of the book is the characters and setting. I'd definitely recommend this book to fans of historical fantasy, and I'm looking forward to the sequels!

What a great month you are having! I love all the books you got and am very impressed with your book packing abilities.

>170 luvamystery65: Why thank you! I am definitely having a great reading month...but I'm so far behind on reviews that I haven't written about ANY of my June books yet!

Book #47: Morgan Matson, Since You've Been Gone
Category: Got to Get You into My Life (10/10)
CATs: none

Emily and Sloane are best friends; they've been inseparable ever since Sloane moved to town two years ago. While Sloane is adventurous and outgoing, Emily is shy by nature and happy to be known simply as "Sloane's friend." But one day, Sloane and her family are simply gone, and Sloane isn't answering any of Emily's calls or texts. Emily is both shocked and completely overwhelmed -- how will she survive the summer without her best friend? Then she finds a list from Sloane, a list of tasks designed to get Emily out of her comfort zone. Not knowing what else to do, Emily decideds to complete the list, hoping that once she does, Sloane will come back. Some of the tasks seem relatively harmless ("Apple picking at night"), while others seem impossible ("Kiss a stranger"). But with help from some surprising sources -- including popular class president Frank Porter -- Emily makes her way through the list and gains a new identity in the process.

This book is the perfect summer read! It's got everything -- friendship, humor, romance, ice cream, and a sense of infinite possibility. Reading it, I felt nostalgic for the summers I had growing up, playing with the neighborhood kids and feeling like the summer would never end. I found Emily a great, realistic character; she's more of a follower than a leader, she's a bit unsure of her own identity, and she relies on Sloane to provide the adventure and excitement in her life. I loved watching her grow as a person and have her own adventures. I also adored the sweet romance with Frank, who is the kind of guy I totally would have had a crush on in high school! But the relationship at the heart of the book is really the friendship between Emily and Sloane, who is an incredibly vivid character even though she's barely on page. In fact, my only tiny quibble with the book is that I wasn't satisfied with Sloane's reason for disappearing on Emily. But I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a great beach or vacation read this summer!

Ooooohhhh.... Jackaby sounds good!

>173 lkernagh: It's a fun one! I'm glad I picked it up at BEA. Publication date (in the US) is September 16, according to Amazon.

>174 christina_reads: - Same publication date for the Canadian release. *Squee!*

Book #48: Robin LaFevers, Mortal Heart
Category: Magic Man (6/11)
CATs: none

This final book in the His Fair Assassin trilogy focuses on Annith, one of the most skilled novices at the convent of St. Mortain in medieval Brittany. She has lived her entire life in the convent but yearns to be sent on her first mission to the outside world, so that she can finally use her skills to serve the god of death. But the abbess has stubbornly kept her in the convent while allowing other, less skilled novices to go out on missions. When Annith hears that the abbess intends to make her the next Seeress, effectively locking her within the convent walls forever, she decides to leave the convent and find her own way to serve Mortain. Along the way she runs into a group of hellequin, doomed souls who can only redeem themselves by ushering the spirits of the dying into the afterlife. At first the hellequin terrify Annith, but she soon grows closer to their mysterious leader, Balthazaar. Will Annith be able to overcome her past, including the secrets the abbess is keeping, and forge her own destiny?

I was a big fan of Grave Mercy and, to a lesser extent, Dark Triumph, so I jumped at the chance to grab this galley at BEA! Unfortunately, I wasn't completely enamored with the book, although I'm having a hard time pinpointing why. For one thing, the plot doesn't have much forward momentum; there's a lot about Annith's past and the secrets hidden in the convent, but her current journey is much less interesting. I also found Balthazaar underwhelming as a romantic lead. There's just no spark between him and Annith, possibly because the book spends so much time in the past. And although his big secret makes total sense in the world of this series, it made me less enthusiastic about him and Annith as a couple. That said, I do think the book is a good resolution to the series as a whole, providing some closure on all the main characters and resolving the dangling plot threads from earlier books. So I'd certainly recommend this novel to fans of the series, but I still think the first book, Grave Mercy, is the best.

Book #49: Ben Macintyre, Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies
Category: Blitzkrieg Bop (4/7)
CATs: none

Seventy years ago, the Allies stormed the beaches of Normandy and began the campaign to liberate Nazi-occupied Europe. Many circumstances contributed to the success of the D-Day invasion, but one of the most important factors was the campaign of disinformation being fed to the Germans by a network of double agents whose sole purpose was to convince the Abwehr that the Allies would be landing at Calais rather than Normandy. Had these agents failed, the Germans would have concentrated their forces at Normandy, most likely stopping the Allied invasion in its tracks. This book tells the stories of the individual double agents involved in this task, including Serbian playboy Dusko Popov ("Tricycle"), Peruvian socialite Elvira Chaudoir ("Bronx"), and Polish nationalist Roman Czerniawski ("Valentine"). Ultimately, Macintyre makes a convincing case for the proposition that the Allies would never have won the war on the battlefields had they not already won the intelligence war.

This book gives a wealth of fascinating detail about the six men and women who acted as double agents in Britain, allegedly spying for Germany but really working for the Allies. I was shocked to learn that British intelligence had actually discovered and turned every German agent in Britain at the time! Because of this, the Allies were able to present a unified message to the Germans, subtlely directing their attention away from Normandy and toward other possible invasion sites. Some of the specific stories in the book prove once again that truth is stranger than fiction: for example, Dusko Popov thrived on creating networks of sub-agents that were entirely fictional, yet he retained the Abwehr's complete trust. I also loved the fact that these double agents were handled in Britain by the Twenty Committee, so named because the Roman numeral for 20 is XX, or "double cross." In short, if you're interested in true stories of WWII-era espionage, Ben Macintyre is your man!

>177 christina_reads: That sounds fascinating! And I still haven't managed to get to Operation Mincemeat. I need to get busy...

>178 cbl_tn: Operation Mincemeat is a good one too! Hope you enjoy Macintyre's work when you get to it. For me, it's very readable and tends to go quickly, which is always a plus!

Book #50: Lauren Willig, That Summer
Category: Reelin' in the Years (5/14)
CATs: Random (rose: Summer Time)

In 2009, Julia Conley learns that she's inherited a house in England from a great-aunt she's never met. She hasn't even been to England since her mother died when she was little. When Julia reluctantly goes to London to get the house ready to sell, she teams up with her cousin Natalie and an attractive antiques dealer named Nick to sort through her great-aunt's belongings. Julia is especially intrigued by a stunning painting that she finds in a wardrobe, which looks like it was painted by a member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Her quest to learn more about the painting leads her to the story of Imogen, who lived in the house with her husband Arthur in the 1840s. Imogen thought her marriage would be like a fairy tale, but in reality her husband is selfish and distant. She finally finds the love she's been longing for when she meets a struggling painter named Gavin Thorne, who has been hired to paint her portrait. But will their romance last, or is it destined to end in tragedy?

I'm a longtime fan of Willig's Pink Carnation series, so I was excited to read this book, her second stand-alone novel. As an added bonus, I really like Pre-Raphaelite art and was interested to learn a bit more about the movement. But while this was a fairly good read, I didn't love it quite as much as I was hoping to. Both Julia's and Imogen's stories had the potential to be really interesting, but because the book divides its focus between them, neither plot is as rich as it could be. I had a hard time connecting to Imogen's story in particular; the romance seemed to happen very abruptly. Also, I personally have a very hard time with love stories that expect me to condone adultery, so while I sympathized with Imogen's plight, I wasn't exactly rooting for her and Gavin to get together. Finally, I missed the lighthearted tone and occasionally silly humor of the Pink Carnation books. This novel is much more somber, and I didn't find it as enjoyable. Overall, I'd say the book is worth a read if you're a Willig completist (like me) or if you are particularly interested in the premise.

I should mention -- if anyone is interested in winning an ARC of Mortal Heart, I'm hosting a giveaway on my blog! (US residents only, unfortunately.) Check it out HERE!

Book #51: M.M. Kaye, Death in the Andamans
Category: Born to Run (6/12)
CATs: Geo (islands/bodies of water: set in the Andaman Islands)

Caroline Ophelia Phoebe Elizabeth Randal, known to her friends as Copper, is staying with school chum Valerie on the tiny island of Ross in the Andaman Islands. The vast majority of the population is Burmese, but there is a small British community on the island as well, and Copper and Val naturally form part of this society. At first Copper views the island as a paradise, especially when compared to her rather dreary life in London; and the most upsetting aspect of her visit so far is her feelings for Nick Tarrent, a visiting naval officer who is friends with Valerie's fiancé. But everything changes one fateful day when a terrible storm leads to widespread destruction on the island, and one of the British plantation owners is found dead. His death is assumed to be accidental until another visiting officer, who happens to be a doctor, suspects foul play. Then the doctor himself is murdered, and it slowly dawns on Copper and the others that the murderer has to be one of them -- the storm has cut off all access from the outside world. Can Copper and her friends unmask the murderer before he or she kills again?

I've finally read the last of M.M. Kaye's "Death in…" books, and I'm sorry to have reached the end of them. They all essentially follow the same formula -- young woman visits exotic location, falls in love, and becomes involved with a murder -- but it's a formula that appeals to me, so I don't mind! This book did a wonderful job describing the setting, which is unsurprising, since Kaye actually lived in the Andamans for a while and even experienced a storm like the one in the book! The fact that Copper and her friends were completely cut off from the outside world produced the proper atmosphere of creepy suspense; I was reminded at times of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. I didn't particularly like the fact that there was a lot of head-hopping in the book, from Copper to Val to Nick to various other characters. I also thought the solution of the mystery came out of nowhere. While the plot does hang together, I wasn't terribly satisfied by the revelation of the murderer, as many other suspects could just as easily have committed the murders for the same reason. Overall, though, I enjoyed this book and am sad that I don't have any more M.M. Kaye mysteries to look forward to!

Book #52: Caryl Brahms & S.J. Simon, No Bed for Bacon
Category: Reelin' in the Years (6/14)
CATs: none

In this hilarious send-up of the Elizabethan era -- or rather, the Elizabethan era as perceived by popular culture -- Sir Francis Bacon is desperate to obtain a bed that Queen Elizabeth has slept in during one of her royal progresses. He wants it to be an heirloom for his family, as he knows the bed's value will only increase through the years. Sir Walter Raleigh's attention is divided between his new cloak, which he hopes will be the envy of everyone at Elizabeth's court (especially that dandy, the Earl of Essex), and his upcoming introduction of the potato to England. Meanwhile, Sir Francis Drake is grumbling about the fact that he hasn't been able to do any really good pirating in years; theater owner Philip Henslowe will do anything in his power to shut down his rival, Burbage; and Shakespeare is trying to work on a new play, Love's Labour's Wunne, but he keeps getting distracted by the problem of how to spell his own name. Add a little romance, an overly ambitious watchman, and some reminiscing about the glory days of the Armada, and the stage is set for high comedy with a few history lessons thrown in.

I didn't know it until I read the introduction, but this book is actually part of the basis for the Academy Award-winning movie "Shakespeare in Love." But while the movie focuses almost entirely on the romance between Shakespeare and the noble Lady Viola, in the book it's just one of many plots involving the most famous figures of the Elizabethan age. If you know anything about the era or are interested in learning more, I highly recommend this book! It's pure farce, so there isn't much "plot" to speak of, but the jokes are more than funny enough to make up for that! One of my favorites was an exchange between Shakespeare and Bacon about some plot element of Shakespeare's play that Bacon didn't like. Shakespeare responds with great indignation, "Master Bacon, do I write my plays or do you?" Then there's this internal monologue from a Puritan who seeks to shut down the theater: "People had no right to enjoy themselves. He was going to stop them. His cause was a just one and he knew it. He was enjoying himself." So if you like Shakespeare and don't mind a little (or a lot of) silliness, you should definitely check out this book!

Ha! That sounds like a great book! Will have to hunt it down. Brahms and Simon are a good duo.

>184 rabbitprincess: It's so much fun! I definitely want to track down some more books by Brahms & Simon now. There's one called Don't, Mr. Disraeli! that deals with the Victorian era...sounds right up my alley!

Book #53: Tana French, In the Woods
Category: Private Eyes (6/9)
CATs: Mystery (police procedurals)

Detective Rob Ryan and his partner, Cassie Maddox, are two up-and-coming detectives on the Dublin Murder Squad. But Ryan is hiding a secret about his past: his real name is Adam Ryan, and when he was 12 years old, his two best friends vanished in the woods of Knocknaree without a trace. Ryan was even with them at the time, but he has no memory of what happened to them -- or why they disappeared while he was found. Ryan has apparently done a good job of recovering from this trauma and moving on with his life, but he is deeply shaken when he and Cassie are assigned to another case in Knocknaree, where a young girl has been murdered. As Ryan returns to his hometown and is confronted with memories he didn't even know he had, he wonders whether the girl's murder is connected to his own past. Ultimately, Ryan knows that this case will have deep personal importance for him -- but will it make his career or destroy it?

I'm having a hard time collecting my thoughts on this book. At first I thought I wasn't going to like it at all -- in fact, I almost gave up after the flowery prologue -- but eventually I got completely sucked in. The strongest aspect of the book, for me, was the relationship between Ryan and Cassie. Ryan isn't a particularly likable character, but the bond between him and Cassie is so strong that you can't help feeling he must be a pretty good guy after all. The way this relationship evolves and changes throughout the book kept me riveted. The novel's narrative structure also creates a lot of suspense: Ryan is the narrator, and he says right from the start that he tells lies. So I was constantly wondering whether he was lying about certain things, and I became really invested in both mysteries as a result. That said, the book's ending drove me a little crazy: some things made me sad, others frustrated me, and others I actually liked a lot. So I'm still undecided about this book; but I am glad I read it, and I will certainly be reading The Likeness at some point as well!

Book #54: J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
Category: Over the Hills and Far Away (1/4)
CATs: none

I'm not officially reviewing this book because it's a re-read for me, and I think I last read it in 2007. What I primarily noticed this time was the cutesy tone, as if Tolkien were telling the story to a child on his knee -- and not necessarily a very bright one! The book is a bit more juvenile than I remembered. Still, I enjoyed reading about Bilbo's adventures, and I'm looking forward to re-reading LOTR now! I think I will save it for the end of my challenge as a reward. :)

Edited to fix typo!

>187 christina_reads: Well, he did write it intending it to be a children's book.

Book #55: Georgette Heyer, A Blunt Instrument
Category: Golden Years (3/6)
CATs: none

When wealthy Englishman Ernest Fletcher is found in his study with his head bashed in, his relatives and neighbors are shocked. Ernest was well-liked and seemingly had no enemies, so why would anyone want to kill him? But as Superintendent Hannasyde and Sergeant Hemingway investigate the case, they soon uncover several motives. First there's Neville Fletcher, the dead man's nephew and heir to his fairly large fortune. Then there is Helen North, who has a secret involving Ernest that she doesn't want anybody -- especially her husband -- to know about. Or the culprit could be Abraham Budd, a businessman who was complicit in some of Ernest's shady financial dealings. But as the police collect motives and unearth secrets, they become more and more puzzled by the conflciting testimony about what actually happened on the night of the murder. And when a second victim appears, Hannasyde and Hemingway know they will have to act fast to catch a partiuclarly elusive killer.

In general I prefer Heyer's romances to her mysteries, but I really enjoyed this book! There are some wonderful characters in this one: the vague, mischievous Neville, who is much sharper than he appears; the blunt, monocle-wearing Sally Drew, who writes detective novels; Constable Glass, the Bible-quoting policeman; and the impatient, down-to-earth Sergeant Hemingway. The dialogue is witty and sparkling, as usual, and I loved the romance(s) that emerged throughout the course of the book. The mystery itself is also a bit more substantial than in some of Heyer's other books, and I was surprised by the Christie-esque twist that revealed the murderer's identity. Overall, if you're interested in trying Heyer's mysteries, I think this is a really good place to start! (Hannasyde and Hemingway are recurring characters in her mysteries, but the books absolutely do not have to be read in order.) I'm reading these mysteries in chronological order, so I'll be interested to see whether they get even better as they go on!

>188 PawsforThought: Fair point, and since I originally read it as a child, I definitely have a lot of affection for it. But I can understand how people reading it for the first time as an adult might be turned off by the tone.

And with that, I have FINALLY caught up with reviews!


(Image from Sehsuan at en.wikipedia.)

OK, so fireworks may be a tiny bit excessive, but it's just such a load off my mind! :) That said, if I finish my current book before midnight (which I'm hoping to do), I'll be behind again...but such is life!

A Blunt Instrument is next for me in the series. I'm glad to see you liked it so well! I loved Death in the Stocks, didn't like Behold Here's Poison, and really liked They Found Him Dead. I also liked the last standalone mystery of hers that I read: Why Shoot a Butler?.

Re In the Woods, I ended up thinking that Rob had possibly murdered the other two children. Toward the end of the book it was mentioned how big he was for his age compared to the other two children. I think the author wanted to leave that question in readers' minds.

>192 cbl_tn: I think we have very similar opinions of Heyer's mysteries! Behold, Here's Poison was my least favorite of those I've read, but I really liked Death in the Stocks! So hopefully you will also enjoy A Blunt Instrument as much as I did. :)

As for In the Woods, I hated the fact that we never found out for sure what happened to those kids! And I do agree that it's an open question whether Ryan murdered them or not, although personally I really hope he didn't! I still kind of want him and Cassie to find their way back to each other someday...

Can you believe the year is half over?! It's actually the third quarter of 2014...which means it's time for a new thread! Follow the thread continuation link for part 3 of my challenge. Hope to see you there!