BeSerene Reads (I hope) in 2015: Page 1

Welcome.

I hope for better things this year.

I hope that you, too, will have good things -- especially many good books -- in your life.

And I hope that we all get to be who we wish to be, and read what we wish to read, all the year through.

Goals for 2014:
1) Read books.
2) Be awesome.

Previous threads found here:
-- BeSerene's 2014: Books, with Occasional Panda
-- BeSerene's Lucky 2013: Books Read, Part First, and Part Second
-- BeSerene in 2012: A Very Good Year (for Books), and Part 2
-- BeSerene's Reads of 2011: the Beginning, and the Next Chapter
-- To see my masterlist from 2010, in which I read considerably more books than I have in more recent years, visit my second 2010 thread: BeSerene's Reads 2010, Part Two.

Read in 2015: 44/75

Fantasy
#4: Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal
#5: Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal
#6: Without a Summer by Mary Robinette Kowal
#7: Valour and Vanity by Mary Robinette Kowal
#9: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (MG)
#10: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (MG)
#11: The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan (MG)
#12: The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan (MG)
#13: The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan (MG/YA)
#14: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (MG/YA)
#15: The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan (MG/YA)
#16: The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan (MG/YA)
#17: The House of Hades by Rick Riordan (MG/YA)
#18: The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan (MG/YA)
#19: The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
#21: Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill (MG)
#23: A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans by Laurence Yep and Joanne Ryder (MG)
#24: The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker
#25: Uprooted by Naomi Novik
#26: Nightbird by Alice Hoffman (MG/YA)
#27: The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett (YA)
#28: A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett (YA)
#29: Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett (YA)
#30: I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett (YA)
#31: The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett (YA)
#33: The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury (MG)
#34: The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror and Goliath by Ishbelle Bee
#35: Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson (YA)
#36: The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan (YA)
#37: Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire (novella)
#38: Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
#39: The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson
#44: This Census-Taker by China Mieville

Science Fiction
#20: Lock In by John Scalzi

Mystery
#1: The Pierced Heart by Lynn Shepherd
#2: A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
#3: I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley
#8: Sherlock, Lupin & Me: The Dark Lady by Irene Adler (MG)
#22: The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry (MG/YA)

Historical Fiction

Contemporary and/or Literary Fiction

Classics

Non-fiction
#32: Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson (memoir)

Graphic Novels
#40: Saga, volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
#41: Saga, volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan
#42: Saga, volume 3 by Brian K. Vaughan
#43: Saga, volume 4 by Brian K. Vaughan

Defiantly Uncategorizable Stuff

And, to keep myself honest, a brief accounting note...
Books Acquired in 2015: 89 +ARCs
January: 58 ($590)
February: 22 +ARCs ($209)
March: 9 ($76)
Total spent: $875

I wish you better reading luck this year! And a better year all over.

Welcome back!

Welcome back Sarah!

>1 beserene: 'And I hope that we all get to be who we wish to be, and read what we wish to read, all the year through.'

Hear, hear!

Welcome back!

Happy New Year!

Why, hello everyone! And a very happy new year to you all. I spent the day at a movie theater with friends, marathoning three films in a row -- "The Imitation Game", "Interstellar", and "Into the Woods". The first two were excellent, the last both amusing and engaging. A good day to start the year with. And now I'm all settled in for the night, about to read The Pierced Heart, which I started last month but hope to finish as my first book of the new year. 2015 is already better than its predecessor.

Thanks for stopping by the thread! I hope your years are all starting off just right. :)

Happy new thread and New Year, Sarah!

Hi Leah! The very same to you! I haven't had a chance to do much thread-visiting yet, but I'll be sure to pop over to yours soon. :)

The first books of 2015 have been purchased, though!
-- Shattered Pillars by Elizabeth Bear
-- The Rise of Ransom City by Felix Gilman

Purchased from Amazon marketplace for a grand total of 10 bucks. I'm trying to be more moderate in my book purchases this year. (Don't laugh.) We shall see how long the attempt lasts.

Maybe I'll limit myself to only one book per day! So, that was yesterday's book and today's... which means I can buy another book tomorrow! :D

Hi Sarah!!!

Hi Nora! I knew it must be you, because panda. :) And what a very cute panda it is!

PS: I did not buy a book today. That means I could buy two books tomorrow, right? :)

But I did finish my book last night...

So, that means I've read a book this year!

Book #1


The Pierced Heart by Lynn Shepherd
This is the third Charles Maddox mystery that I've read (I never went back to read the very first in the series, which focuses on Charles' uncle, I believe) and I've found each one to be an enjoyable, if imperfect, historical mystery. This volume, however, leans more toward thriller, with a touch of horror. That particular direction comes from its inspiration; each of Shepherd's novels has been inspired by a particular author or work -- Dickens, Byron -- and this new installment takes its notes from Dracula.

The pleasure of the novel comes primarily from engaging with that allusion and the historical context that interweaves with the main mystery. Shepherd's private detective, Charles Maddox, is one of those primarily rational men we've often met in the genre and so each mystery shines a light of era-specific plausibility on commonly shadier ideas, such as vampires. Maddox is an amiable character who makes mistakes, unlike his more famous literary ancestors, and he usually interacts with a variety of figures from history with a certain mildness; in this book, however, he is more than usually active in the more than usually salacious goings-on (no spoilers, I promise), and in many ways that makes this book a faster and more intriguing read than others in the series. It also helps that this one is shorter.

Unfortunately, the flaws of the series are still evident here. Shepherd constructs a present-tense intrusive narrator, evocative of the "see here, dear reader" narrative trend in the Victorian age, but uses it so haltingly that it often seems more annoying than endearing. The structure of the book, as Maddox's hunt is interspersed with long diary entries from a young woman heretofore unknown in the series, makes it all too easy to lose track of the primary plot -- although the twist through which both sides of the narrative are brought together at the end will prompt a cheer from dedicated readers of the series.

Despite the structural limitations of the book, I still found it a fine diversion for a winter's day. While there is nothing spectacular here, Shepherd has created characters who are likable enough to spend one's time with as well as using familiar images from literature and history with respectful attention to detail. Good, not great, but well worth reading and solid enough to make me look forward to the next installment.

Hi! Love the panda pic you have as thread topper. And your goals for the new year are spot on. Pretty much what I'm aiming for too, though I have a couple of more ones.

Good luck!

Thanks! And good luck to you too! :)

In other news, I started reading the next in Alan Bradley's mystery series, A Red Herring Without Mustard. How much do we love Flavia de Luce? I giggle all the way through these books. :)

I read that Elizabeth Bear trilogy last year from the library. Interesting, as all of Bear's work seems to be.

ETA A Red Herring Without Mustard is as far as I've made it in the Flavia de Luce series too. FictFact tells me there's a new one coming out next week, As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust, #7 in the series.

Hi Roni! I like Elizabeth Bear a lot -- I got to meet her years ago, before I'd actually read any of her stuff, and she just struck me as a very insightful person, who really pays attention to things in a thoughtful way. And then when I read her work, my first impression was confirmed. I'm glad to know that the new series lives up to that.

And woohoo for a new Flavia mystery! I think I may binge on the series for a little bit here. They are just such jolly fun, and that's exactly what I'm in need of these days.

The one you got, Shattered Pillars, is the second in the series. Have you read the first book yet?

Apparently I got the second one confused as the first... oops. So, no, I have not yet read the first one. But that's okay, because I just ordered the first one too! And the third one! And, like, 17 other books on BookOutlet.com! All fixed!

Remember when I said I was trying to cut back on the book buying this year?

Nah, me neither.

(Either that, or it's 16 days and counting before I get to buy another book.)

I have a couple of the Lynn Shepherd books to read and have been meaning to start the Flavia de Luce series for a while now.

>20 beserene: So, about 20 books purchased by 6 January? Sounds like your 2015 is getting off to a great start to me :-P

Today was Bao Bao's first snow day!



ETA: here's a video! http://youtu.be/HQZ3-OD0ml0

Oh, cool!

Adorable! Bao Bao and I feel just the same way about snow. I can tell we will be fast friends, just as soon as I get the National Zoo. :)

>21 souloftherose: Hi Heather! Both are worth reading, for sure, but Flavia is an absolute delight.

And it was 21 books, technically, but one is for a friend, so yep, 20 for me. But who's counting?

Actually, now that I think on it, perhaps I will. Confession is good for the soul, right?

I listed the first two purchases already, so that leaves the other two Amazon books:
-- Grail of the Summer Stars by Freda Warrington
-- Range of Ghosts by Elizabeth Bear
Grand total: $9 and change.

And the 16 (+1) from BookOutlet:
-- The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver
-- Sense & Sensibility by Joanna Trollope
-- Snow White Must Die by Nele Neuhaus
-- Thomas and the Dragon Queen by Shutta Crum
-- Curse of the Night Wolf and Return of the Emerald Skull (first and second in the Barnaby Grimes series) by Paul Stewart
-- Muse and Reverie by Charles de Lint
-- 21st Century Science Fiction (a giant anthology -- my favorite!) edited by David Hartwell
-- The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (which was the whole reason for the order -- 2 copies, 1 for me, 1 for a friend)
-- Steles of the Sky by Elizabeth Bear (which is what started the whole "I wonder what else I can find on this site?" binge)
-- Queen Victoria's Book of Spells (an anthology of gaslamp fantasy -- how fun can you get?) edited by Ellen Datlow
-- Metatropolis (another, but smaller, scifi anthology) edited by John Scalzi
-- The Revolutions by Felix Gilman (for which I both blame and thank our dear David)
-- A Possible Life by Sebastian Faulks
-- The Twelve Rooms of the Nile by Enid Shomer (which I bought for the cover)
-- Equilateral by Ken Kalfus
Grand total: $84 (and most of these were hardcovers!)

And there you have it. You are all up to date on this year's purchases. Less than a week into the new year, and I've accumulated 20 new books.

Five Hail Marys and three Hello Dollys and all my sins will be forgiven, right? :)

Also, after my shopping binge, I mini-binged, reading two lovely Flavia de Luce mysteries in a row the last couple of days.

Book #2


A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
This, the third volume in the Flavia de Luce mystery series, might be the best yet as far as the mystery part is concerned. With a tangle of deaths, a multiplicity of suspects, a myriad of secret doors, a couple of gypsies, and a fair amount of tea and biscuits, it certainly kept one jumping. The character aspects were also a bit deeper this round, though I found that the particular developments made me a little sad. In this book, rather than giggling madly at Flavia's antics and asides all the time, we start to see a little more of the damage she has suffered from the family dynamics and tragedy (both recent and past) to which she has been exposed. In many ways, this is a shade more serious than I remember the previous installments being, but for me that makes the narrative richer. Flavia is still quite herself, cheekily pursuing her own criminal and chemical investigations with attitude. I adore these books and started reading the next as soon as I finished this one, so that should tell you something.

Book #3


I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley
It did my heart good to read this Christmas-themed Flavia de Luce mystery as the snow howled outside my own door just as it howled around the great house in the book. It is the very definition of the perfect cozy, featuring our favorite 11-year-old chemist/sleuth surrounded by her family and indeed her entire village, all under one roof for Christmas. Well, actually, it's because of a Christmas murder. But what else would you expect from this series? The emotional themes of the series are present and developing clearly in this volume, with our dear friend Flavia struggling with her sisters and with the consequences of her family's financial straits, at the same time as she tries to solve a murder. It's the usual madcap fun, but this time with a little more heart, as it's Christmas -- and also as the series seems to be exploring Flavia's character more and more with each book. I love it all to bits. You probably will too.

:)

All in all, both shopping and reading seem off to a splendid start!

The binge continues! Both in reading and in buying, by the way. Tonight, at our local indie (in the used section), I purchased the following:

-- We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy by Maurice Sendak
-- Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride by Pam Munoz Ryan
-- The Apothecary and The Apprentices by Maile Meloy
-- Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers
Total: $24, but I had a $20 gift card from Christmas, so actually only spent $4!

Also, I read some books the last couple of days... (my next post).

>13 beserene: I will have to give the Lynn Shepherd series a shot. Thanks for the review, Sarah!

Book #4

Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal

Book #5

Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal

Book #6

Without a Summer by Mary Robinette Kowal

These three were rereads for me, and I'm pretty sure I reviewed them in previous years, but I will say that the series holds up beautifully to rereading. If you are at all a Jane Austen fan and you have not yet read Kowal's series, you are doing yourself a disservice. These are Regency-esque novels with a hint of magic and a good dose of "modern" sense (and sensibility) -- the first one is actually not my favorite, but the series just keeps getting better.

Book #7


Valour and Vanity by Mary Robinette Kowal
Kowal's series of Regency-esque fantasy novels truly does improve with each installment. Each book is an homage to Jane Austen -- often, but not always, evoking a specific novel -- but manages, with the inclusion of broader social ideas and a touch of magic, to be its own creature at the same time. In this, the fourth volume (and yes, this is a series best read in order, from the beginning), our favorite magical artisans, Jane and Vincent, are traveling abroad to Europe, particularly to Venice, and meeting up with some familiar historical figures along the way.

Some have claimed that Kowal's books are too derivative, but here the reader sees that derivation from a masterwork (or more than one) can be such delightful fun that there becomes no such thing as its excess. By the climax of the book, in fact, the narrative has taken a left turn into something much more "Italian Job" than 'Persuasion', but the reader who has engaged fully with the story is cheering all the way. In retrospect, I suppose one could feel that it's all rather... much. But that thought comes only after the reading is done. In process, in the moment of splendid suspension of disbelief, I embraced the whole ripping yarn right down to the last mischievous nun.

Yep, there are nuns. And pirates (sort of). And Byron!

The move toward heist novel (with Byron!) works because the emotional life of Kowal's main characters has such authentic resonance in the first half of the book. I won't give away the details (except... Byron!), but in this volume we see a level of struggle with which the Vincents have been entirely unfamiliar in prior books -- a practical, daily struggle that feels grounded even amongst the more fanciful aspects of the story. Jane and Vincent's process through that struggle and the way they react to each other hooks the reader into the depth of the story, creating the very suspension that allows us to follow these characters into less grounded territory later.

That emotional resonance, truly, is where Kowal proves herself to be most worthy as one of Austen's literary descendants. The frisson of joy at the union between Jane and Vincent in the first novel feels just as right as those oft-cited sacred moments between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy or Anne and Wentworth. That thrill is still present, even four books in, as this story reaches its climax. Add that emotional experience to the richness of detail, the clear respect for not only literary but historical precedent, the dedication of research that is evident in this novel and you get a sense of its worth.

But, really, I probably had you at heist novel. And Byron!

Obviously, I enjoyed the build from seriousness into unadulterated glee; I found myself solemn in the middle of the novel, but by the end I was giggling madly. Others may prefer something more steady, but I heartily recommend this book for those who like their Austenania with a side of adventure and a splash of hilarity.

>29 beserene: My daughter Catey would love those books. She is the biggest Jane Austen fan!

>28 alcottacre: Why, hello! My goodness, what a delight that you stopped by! And thank you -- I think you might enjoy the Shepherd books, Stasia dear. They aren't going to change your life, but they are worth a gander.

I hope all is well in your little patch of world.

>30 alcottacre: You are too quick for me, lady! Personally, I think everyone who appreciates Austen ought to read Kowal's series. It's just such fun! :)

> 29 beserene: I have loved Kowal's books! I'm saving Valour and Vanity as a treat for my next vacation, because I know that I'll eat it too fast and then I'll have to wait for the next one after that. She's such delightful fun to read.

I'm one who was slightly dissatisfied with Shades of Milk and Honey, liking the way Kowal channeled Jane's voice but feeling she devolved into melodramatic farce at the end. But I think she has developed her own authentic voice in each of the books that followed, and also heartily recommend the series. This last book was truly a blast! I mean, heist AND Byron!

ETA And I will read the next Flavia book sooner rather than later as a result of your review above, especially since it has a Christmas theme.

I really need to get back on the Glamourist series. I've only ever read the first one! So many books, so little time.

I'll really have to read Shades of Milk and Honey eventually.

Wow, what a difference a week makes. My semester started this week, and suddenly my reading (and LT posting) dropped to zero. Obviously, I'm going to have to work on reading-work balance.

But I am delighted that so many Kowal fans (and future fans) popped by. I'm going to see her this weekend at a con I'm attending -- I hope I get the chance to tell her how much we all like her books. :)

By the way, I went on another buying spree, in preparation for the con. When the dust settles, you shall witness my confession!

Wait, aren't you supposed to have your buying spree AT the conference?

Lol. That will probably happen too. :D

>38 ronincats: Oh, don't worry, there was book buying at the Con. lol

Yes, there sure was. And I am woefully behind on my confessions. So, here we go...

January 14 was the Jim Hines reading at our local indie, so I purchased (and got signed)...
-- Unbound by Jim Hines
total: $27

Jim is great AND he's one of our local authors, so I don't mind paying full price for one of his books. :)

But then the con madness began.

both before and after January 14, I put in a major Amazon Prime orders for books by con authors, which included...
-- The Heroes, The Blade Itself, and Half a King by Joe Abercrombie (he is adorable)
-- Above by Leah Bobet (which turned out to be a former library book, which was embarrassing, but she didn't mind)
-- Disappearing Nightly by Laura Resnick (she is such a pro; she had a drink with us and chatted on Friday evening)
-- The Galaxy Game, The Best of All Possible Worlds, and Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord (who is just lovely, so I wish we could've talked more)
-- Hurricane Fever by Tobias Buckell (whom I've known since my time at Clarion, so it was nice to see him again)
-- Shadow Ops: Control Point by Myke Cole (whom I met last year, though this year we didn't get to chat much)
total: $125

January 16, just before leaving for the con, I picked up a pile of books by con authors at our local indie, including...
-- The Mirror Empire by Kameron Hurley (who was SO excited to see someone with her book in hand)
-- The Crimson Campaign by Brian McClellan (who is a very nice young man and also thrilled that I owned both his books, including the first he'd signed for me last year)
-- The Castle Behind Thorns by Merrie Haskell (whom I've worked with on my outreach program, but she still intimidates me, she's just kind of reserved and great)
-- The Deaths of Tao by Wesley Chu (I've also worked with Wes before, and he was a sweetheart all weekend)
-- Shadow Ops: Fortress Frontier by Myke Cole (did I mention Myke is a quintessential military man? Good guy, VERY tight ship, etc.)
-- Red Country by Joe Abercrombie (yep, adorable AND he has a cute accent)
-- American Craftsmen by Tom Doyle (whom I spoke with only for a moment, seemed nice but a little odd, as many writers do :) )
total: $114 (definitely not a deal -- I didn't get a discount this time -- but at least it was money spent at an indie!)

And then, at the con itself, I purchased...
-- My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland (who was sarcastic and funny in person too, so I liked her)
-- Maplecroft by Cherie Priest (I've met her a few times and she and David are hilarious together; also I think I have 2 copies of this book now)
-- Young Woman in a Garden by Delia Sherman (Delia wasn't there, but I'll be meeting her this summer, I hope)
-- Strange Itineraries and The Bible Repairman by Tim Powers (also not there, but I will buy his books anywhere, anytime)
-- Glamour of the God-Touched by Ron Collins (almost forgot this one, which I bought because Ron is really nice)
total: $80

Also, David found The Wandering Unicorn on the freebie table, so I got that too.

In short, for those who are counting, last week's totals are:
25 books acquired
$346 spent
(which pretty much destroys the $5/book average I was using to rationalize my already large acquisition pile for Jan.)

And now, to no one's surprise, I am quite broke. So, I'll just go maybe read something, shall I?

My reading has regressed to middle school this week, since the semester is now in full flow and I had so much other stuff going on, but I did get through a couple of books.

Book #8


Sherlock, Lupin & Me: The Dark Lady by Irene Adler (Alessandro Gatti)
This middle grade novel, translated from the Italian, has the feel of an author-mill product in many ways -- the pattern of writing and plotting is pat, there are inconsistencies throughout -- yet the book itself has many charms. The combination of Sherlock Holmes, Arsene Lupin, and Irene Adler as a teen trio set on solving murders is an engaging premise and this volume, the first of a multi-volume series, introduces the characters with some fun details. Sherlock is just beginning to show his adult personality, Irene is already relatively self-possessed for a 12-year-old, and Lupin remains somewhat of a mystery, but it is a pleasure to see them all interact as young people.

The murder mystery plot has a classic feel and engages with many familiar tropes, including rooftop chases, heroes in disguise, street gangs of raggedy young criminals, etc. There are some seemingly random side plots and personal notes from Irene's first-person perspective that may play out in future books, but in this one feel forced or unnecessary. For the parents and other adult readers, such distractions -- along with the inconsistencies and the occasionally simplistic dialogue -- may irritate, but I suspect that the much-younger target audience will be engaged in the mystery from the moment our heroic trio finds the body on the beach all the way through to the oh-so-Victorian drawing room reveal. Not a great book, but a fun read for the middle-grader with a literary eye or a fondness for steampunk-level history/mysteries.

Book #9


The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
This is probably my fourth or fifth time reading this book. It holds up as a fast, fun, irreverent adventure of demigods in the modern era. This summer, in a graduate school mythology course, I found myself hating on it a bit, but now find myself enjoying it just as much as I did before I recognized some of its flaws. In fact, I think I may reread the whole series and its extension series. In short, good comfort-reading. :)

>41 beserene: To be honest, I thrust the two Tim Powers books at her, so those can be blamed on me.

>43 tapestry100: True story. :)

So, I've been continuing my reread...

Book #10 ----------------- Book #11 ----------------- Book #12 ----------------- Book #13
- - -

The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, and The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
All of these were rereads, as I mentioned. The series as a whole doesn't hold up quite as well as I'd hoped in second (and third) reads. I started the reread of the series because I wanted to see how Riordan's use of mythology evolved, and there was some satisfaction there as I think these books improve over time on that front, but with the loss of novelty the books don't produce quite as much enjoyment overall -- what was hilarious or compelling the first time around has become vaguely amusing or interesting now. That's not to say that these are bad books, but they have a certain shallowness that seems to become evident the more you read them. The only one I actually liked better than the first time I read was the last one -- at first, I found it to be too brutal and repetitive, but in this reread (despite the fact that it's still all battles all the time), I found more resonance in the emotional notes, strangely enough. Of course, that might just be a product of read all the series in quick sequence. Overall, I'm glad I reread them -- and they are still an easily read pleasure -- but I'm certainly not going to make a habit of it. For their target audience, though, I suspect they are still on track to be modern classics.

Book #14


The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
I'm continuing my reread into the second series because I actually haven't yet read the last few books in it. This one I've read a couple of times. In many ways, this first volume in the Heroes of Olympus series is a better book than any of the others Riordan had written to this point -- there's more variation in the events, with better pacing -- but also shows some of the indulgence that a best-selling author can get away with -- there's a lot of explaining through convenient conversations, which takes away from the experience, and a fair amount of expositional fat compared to the lean speed of the first series. What I also see emerging is Riordan's compulsion to tokenize every single culture while keeping his central hero at default. With this book, the first time I read it I was pleased to see the primary characters come from different ethnic and cultural traditions and thoroughly enjoyed the adventures they had. Rereading, without the novelty of that adventure and its mysteries glossing the characterization, the stereotypes and fall-back habits that shape each character are more bothersome. Overall, still enjoyable and intriguing in the way that Riordan has chosen to integrate his own versions of Greek and Roman myth (even though his assumption that the Greek gods became Roman is completely illogical in the context of a real culture), but does lose something with the repetition.

...And also, I bought more books.

Last weekend I went up north, ostensibly for the wedding of a dear friend, but my true motivation was to visit Mclean and Eakin Booksellers, an independent bookshop that has been on my bookstore bucket list for several years. So, of course, I bought stuff.

-- Copper Magic by Julia Mary Gibson (signed)
-- Keepsake by Kristina Riggle (signed)
-- Q Road by Bonnie Jo Campbell (signed)
-- Nothin But Blue Skies by Edward McClelland (signed)
-- Prairie Evers by Ellen Airgood (signed)
-- The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry (not signed, just seemed like fun)
-- The Booklover's Guide to the Midwest by Greg Holden (how did I not already own this?)
total: $128

I might *gulp* have to put a halt on the book buying for next month. My totals have gotten a little... extreme.

Well, the book-buying has halted, as a matter of fact, but so has everything else... because I've been sick for two weeks.

'Tis the season for bronchitis, fa-la-la-la-la and all that shit.

I did finish my Riordan re/read, so that's good. But otherwise, I've been sitting in my house watching TV for the better part of a week and my voice still isn't back to talking status.

What an exciting update! Whee!

Ugh. At least you are improving (enough to post here!). Feel better!

Book #15


The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
This volume was the last of the rereads for me, and I remember enjoying it pretty well the first time through. On second read, it does lose some of its shine. Percy is back, but he's just not at Camp Half-Blood, so the reader isn't experiencing as much of a mystery of the previous installment. Most of the book is watching the new friends (and enemies) around Percy figure out what we already know. But, of course, we are also getting to know a new set of heroes -- just as the previous book introduced Jason, with his new team of Piper and Leo, here we get Hazel and Frank flanking Percy as the Captain-Planet-esque team assembles for the big adventure. The characters are fun, though their ethnic backgrounds are treated quite differently, with Hazel's New Orleans/voodoo references glossed with stereotypes and Frank's Chinese heritage over-stamped with Roman and Greek. I'm not sure what to make of the way Riordan plays with cultures here, including his theory on the connections between the Roman and Greek gods, whom he treats as faces of the same, but sometimes I just need to lighten up and accept the surface-treatment of this middle-grade fantasy-adventure for just what it is, that.

Book #16


The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan
In the third book of the second Olympians series, we finally see Annabeth come to the fore as she undertakes an adventure separate from the newly assembled super-team of demigods that the past two installments of the series have been constructing. The team is off to the old world to solve the problem of the awakening earth, but Annabeth has a special, Athena-related mission that she must accomplish alone. That test is some of the best work in the novel, as the story unfolds in pieces from several different third-person limited perspectives, including Annabeth's own. This is an expansion of Riordan's experiment with a narrative told in multiple voices, though the shift to limited third here works better than the multiple-firsts he tried in the Kane Chronicles. The result is an orderly pattern, stories layered on experiences, that keep the reader moving swiftly through the story, overlapping viewpoints without bogging us down or making us feel like we've heard all this before.

As the middle book of an ambitious series, this novel has no resolution to offer, even though the smaller adventures within it feel mostly complete. In fact, there is a literal cliffhanger, so brace yourselves. You can't read this book without the others.

Book #17


The House of Hades by Rick Riordan
One of the most curious characters of the series, Nico di Angelo, becomes a focus in this book. He's an interesting character who develops in a way that suits Riordan's patterns but may frustrate some readers. I won't spoil it, of course, but I found myself both appreciative of the move but also a little irritated at the habitual tokenism. Even so, Nico at least is a character who has been developing from the beginning, so he gets a fuller treatment here and it is well-deserved.

The demigod gang has been split, so this volume is all about bringing them back together. It also introduces some random side characters -- a gassy polecat, a former-enemy-giant-turned-friend called Bob, a ghostly saber-toothed kitten named Small Bob, among others. At times, it's hard to remember the vast numbers of side characters the series has accumulated and how they all relate and what their back stories are, but in their individual moments they typically add a great deal of charm and fun, which is needed now as our heroes are in the darkest of places. Literally and metaphorically, it's very dark in here.

At this point in the series, one feels a little exhausted at the classical pattern of another followed by yet another island/quest/god/reward, but it is a classic after all, so Riordan sticks with what he knows. If one is exhausted by the overly-repetitive plot structure, though, one may be entertained by the imaginative descriptions of the settings previously unseen (and, once seen, hard to forget even if you want to) and the even more monsters. Though, in truth, even Riordan seems to be running out of monsters, so most are familiar faces here. If you've enjoyed the series up to this point, you are likely comfortable with these patterns. In truth, whilst reading I was pleasantly caught up in them myself. I found this book to be one of the more intense of the series, so keep in mind that for younger readers this one might inspire some nightmares.

Book #18


The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan
As the culmination of the full (double) series, this book works on a lot of levels, though it certainly maintains the flaws of the second series as a whole. Riordan is a master of pace and building intensity; the stakes that have risen consistently with each book find their ultimate apex here. For all that, there are a few moments that feel too easy here, at the end, but after so much struggle, it's hard to think of a different way out of some of the challenges that our demigod heroes were stuck in. The last, final piece -- which I shall not spoil -- is also a little bit copped out, but that too makes sense for a series that still has a little more middle grade to it than YA, even though its protagonists (all million of them) have grown up enough to experience love and (gasp!) at least the implication of sexual feelings.

The series, as a whole, gains much from novelty. The story, even repetitive as it sometimes is, picks up the reader and carries him/her for a long way before some of the faults catch up. Riordan's habit of collecting one representative from every "diverse" population he apparently could think of -- while still presenting the two most powerful central heroes as white, cis-hetero males -- is still frustratingly evident, but at the same time, I appreciate that he made an effort to put forth so many different heroes in order, one hopes, that any reader could come to this series and find a heroic character with whom they had something in common. Even if the characterization of those figures is sometimes lackluster (or, on a couple of occasions, unintentionally stereotypical), there is value in having characters that every kid can see themselves within. And, as a teacher of mythology myself, I recognize that we have much to thank Riordan for in terms of bringing ancient myth back to a level of popular interest that it deserves. In the end, the monsters were fun, the adventures were perilous, the heroes were many, and the whole series made an effort to appeal to and connect with all kinds of readers. While still best for its original audience of middle graders, there is much to appreciate here.

I will note, for those who want to know, that everyone who survives this adventure (and that's more people than we were led to believe throughout) gets a happy ending. That is likely very satisfying for some young readers on the whole, and even gave me a momentary frisson of cheer, but savvier or older readers may recognize the lost stakes that the series spent so much of our time building. A good end, but not a great one.

>48 jjmcgaffey: Thanks! I am starting to feel a bit better, what with the 5 medications I'm on now, but it's a slow process. I shouldn't whine, though -- it all could be a lot worse. Down, but not out, for sure. :)

I have managed to read a couple more books whilst I've been sick, both quite enjoyable...

Book #19


The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
There was a lot of buzz and a flurry of awards surrounding this novel in late 2014; I was delighted to find that not a bit of it was exaggerated. This is the type of book that gives us all a reason to love fantasy, especially the kind of elaborate, court intrigue fantasy that is iconic to the genre. The plot is classic -- a good-hearted youngest son of an emperor unexpectedly inherits the throne, for which he is woefully unprepared -- hearkening back to TH White and even older models; here, that youngest son is both a cast-off and a half-breed, which allows the author to explore a fascinating mix of political and ethnic prejudices within the high elvish court.

The true joy of the book, however, is in the details; the exquisite world-building creates an immediate sense of exoticism and confusion, which engages the reader not only in the plot twists -- a murder mystery is at the heart of those -- but also in the pure pleasure of puzzling out how this world works. In less deft hands, the elaborate names and titles might have languished in the realm of mockery, but Addison has constructed a system that is tight, logical, and just complex enough to be deeply intriguing. The language and descriptions are so delicious that one wishes to devour the book whole -- and I almost did, galloping through the whole thing in the space of two days, which only goes to show that the intricacies of the novel don't bog down the reading experience at all, once one settles into its world. Those who have little patience for political machinations and court intrigue won't find this book to their liking, but pretty much every other fantasy fan will recognize it for what it is: truly, an instant classic. Highly recommended.

Book #20


Lock In by John Scalzi
I enjoy Scalzi's sense of humor and his clean writing. In this novel, essentially a near future sci-fi police procedural, the latter is on display more than the former. Those used to the metafictional pop snark of some of Scalzi's previous pieces may be surprised to find this novel takes a more serious, even mainstream tone -- evoking CSI or Law & Order more than Star Trek or other science fiction norms -- with an intriguing commentary on attitudes toward disability in modern culture that could start good and necessary conversations in today's world.

The near-future scenario is a post-plague USA, where a significant portion of the population has experienced the after-effect of an influenza-like virus that leaves them "locked in" -- conscious, but unable to move their physical bodies. The novel begins a couple of decades after the first wave of the disease, in a society that seemingly has sorted out issues of accessibility and inclusion, creating robots and cyber-spaces that allow those locked in to participate in both real and virtual worlds. But change is again at hand, and how the country is dealing with that next shift forms the back-drop -- and some essential threads -- for a classic murder mystery, handled by rookie FBI agent Chris Shane, himself one of those locked in.

The mystery has satisfying twists and turns and an even more satisfying ending. The near-future world and its defining plague are thoughtfully extrapolated and manage to feel logical as well as just distant enough for appropriately engaging discomfort. If there are a few too many passages where people stand around and explain things, well... blame that on the procedural heart of the story, which makes such things difficult to avoid. Scalzi doesn't bother with inflated prose or complicated characterization, but he is a dab hand at plain ol' good storytelling. So, dig in. And, while you're in there, think about it -- the mystery is a quick read, but the bigger ideas may stick with you for a long while.

Sorry to hear about the bronchitis, and I hope you're well on the way to recovery now!

>52 lunacat: Thank you, dear! I'm doing my very best. The cough seems to love me too much to let go, but we're going to have a serious talk about boundaries tonight. :)

Lord, save me from inaccuracies... I just found a book that I forgot to confess from back in January. I purchased it on my way up north way back on the weekend of my friends wedding. Because why just stop at a bookstore when you can stop at a bookstore on your way to stopping at another bookstore?
-- Brown Dog: Novellas by Jim Harrison (signed)
Purchased used, $9.

I'll go update my totals now. For the sake of accuracy.

Ooh, The Goblin Emperor is an immediate addition to the wishlist.

>55 _Zoe_: Yes. I agree with putting it on your wishlist, wholeheartedly. Honestly, it's one of the best court intrigue fantasies I've ever read... I just really enjoyed it. I'm sure you will too, Zoe.

And I found out after I finished reading the book that Katherine Addison is apparently Sarah Monette, who's been writing fantasy for quite a few years, so that's also super cool. We were just talking about one of Monette's books the other day, somethread around here... I think.

>51 beserene: Your reaction to Lock In is very like mine - great procedural, that left me thinking for a long time after about the disability and accessibility issues he covers. He weaves those threads in so well that they sneak up and get you after the mystery is done.

I must move the Kate Addison higher on my wishlist.

>51 beserene: Thank you - I've been thinking about the Goblin Emperor and now I know I can skip it, or save it for some (rare) time when I feel up to political machinations. There are some great books, really well-written, that I simply don't enjoy because I truly hate manipulation and politics and twistiness and the like - The Lies of Locke Lamora, for one, and The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms for another. Good to know the Goblin Emperor is in the same vein.

Re: Locked In - did you notice Chris? Scalzi sneaked a trick into that character...

>58 jjmcgaffey: I probably wouldn't have noticed if someone hadn't pointed it out during a discussion of the audible versions :-)

>58 jjmcgaffey: I must confess that I did not notice it while reading, but i read about it later. My own default assumed Chris was male, though I think a big part of that is the spelling of the name, Chris, which in my family is the male spelling (we have three Christophers). One thing I did notice while reading, though, was the race cleverness, which comes to light most particularly with Scalzi's "large black man with a gun" reference regarding Chris' father. I think Scalzi really did some awesome things with all of the various ways we, as a culture, tend to define and discriminate against people. All more reasons why I am glad to have read the book. :)

And a couple more books read (though the book acquisitions are coming too, only a bit later).

Book #21


Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill
I was ready to fall in love with this novel -- it came highly recommended as a brilliant example of upper middle grade fantasy overall and more specifically as an example of wildly inventive world-building. And, truly, it is both of those things. It is also dryly old-fashioned in tone, something that I typically find delightful, and involves not only a heroic princess who doesn't have to be traditionally beautiful but also... dragons. And gods. And books, and spaces between the walls, and dusty libraries, and storytelling... In short, it is practically designed for me to love it to pieces.

And yet, for reasons I could not quite put my finger on, I struggled to actually love it. I definitely liked it. I enjoyed it. But where I expected to find a new literary love of my life, I found instead some small barrier to that connection. I think, perhaps, it has to do with the narrative voice; the book is told by a character within it, a character who is at first admirable and later not, and the choice of narrator makes perfect sense in the context of the story... but that narrator's perspective, including his frequent interjections about his own state of mind, creates a little bit of distance between the reader and the story.

In a way, this narrative style is a mark of a more sophisticated book than the usual middle grade fantasy, but it also creates something of a barrier to the kind of pathos one might be used to in recent classics of the genre (some, much worse examples of writing). That barrier echoes the many walls and prisons in the story itself; everything here is part of an elegant pattern, right down to the extraordinary twin-sunned mirror world that the characters inhabit. It's not until the very end that the emotional resonance of the novel catches up with the wonder of the world, and by then it was too little, too late for me (though that might not be true for its target audience).

Overall, and honestly, it is beautifully executed. So, I encourage you to read it -- really, I do. It is an excellent fantasy full of imaginative beings and shining ideas and a magnificently rendered world. Just know that, in reading it, you too may reach out for love and find only admiration.

Book #22


The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry
I bought this purely on a whim, as you might recall from my earlier shopping confessions, simply because the cover was all neo-Victorian mystery and charm. There was a teacup involved, after all. So, with no expectations at all, I was open to the fizzy fun of the story, which spins a little of Agatha Christie in with a dose of Victorian school novel and flavors it with the ridiculous, sometimes to the point of absurdity.

The plot centers on seven distinctly characterized boarding school girls -- so distinct, in fact, that the author bestows on each of them a specific epithet (Smooth, Dear, Dour, etc.) to precede the first name each time the narrator mentions a girl, a twitch that starts out precious but quickly gets old -- who see their school-mistress and her brother killed. Rather than calling the police, the young ladies see an opportunity for freedom, and so proceed to lying, burying bodies in the garden, tracking down the murderer(s), shopping for necessities, and otherwise running their own school while pretending nothing at all is awry. You might guess where all the fun parts come from -- this "sisterhood" is pretty darn entertaining as they go about getting their hands literally and metaphorically dirty.

The mystery itself has a somewhat sudden resolution and the consequent situations for each girl are clearly contrived, some bordering on trite, but the package as a whole is just the sort of quirky amusement that any fan of the more traditional Victorian girls novel will find well worth the read. The inside jokes and pokes at both the literature and attitude of the older age are fun to find, and each send-up of a character is more of a delight than the last. For younger readers, there is also a timely message about sisterhood and the agency of women -- most of the characters are female and very few are cowed by what we think of as the limitations of the time (though several of the ladies have heads easily turned by the cute boys of the neighborhood). I'm not saying this is the brilliant apex of modern feminist literature, but it manages to be a droll while-away of a couple of hours whilst poking rather delicious fun at the gender roles and familiar tales it's aping, so you could do much worse. Also, there is tea.

I was like you, Sarah, not in love with Iron Hearted Violet despite all those features which sounded so attractive. I read it in May of 2013, so had to search for the book in Talk to find why. My review--and I actually got specific for once--is here:
www.librarything.com/topic/153513#4110400

I'll definitely keep an eye open for The Scandalous Sisterhood, though.

Good review, Roni. I agree with your points. Thanks for sharing it!

So, I completely lost track of my February acquisitions... oops. For the first two weeks, I successfully bought nothing --but that was largely down to me being sick and therefore not going to actual bookstores. Willpower, alas, had little to do with it. Once I started going to bookstores again, I picked up a fair number of books, though not as many/much as January.

My purchases (at least, as far as there is evidence and memory -- but I promise to confess if I recall any more):

February 20 - Schuler Books
-- Once Upon a Time: a short history of fairy tale by Marina Warner (new)
-- Reynard the Fox: a new translation by James Simpson (new)
-- Poison Fruit by Jacqueline Carey (used)
(also, I bought a lovely coloring book, but that doesn't count.)
Total: 3 books; spent: $42

February 21 - Schuler Books (and, yes, I went to the bookstore two days in a row. Don't judge me.)
-- The Islands of Chaldea by Diana Wynne Jones/Ursula Jones (new)
-- The Griffin and Sabine trilogy box set (3 books) by Nick Bantock (used)
-- The Annotated Mother Goose by William Baring-Gould (used)
-- Woe is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English by Patricia O'Conner (used)
-- The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Advice to Writers by Betsy Lerner (used)
-- No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty
(as you can see, I'm building up my writing reference books -- since I'm supposed to be working on becoming a writer and all.)
Total: 8 books; spent: $52

February 27 - Schuler Books (yep, the very next week)
-- The Turnip Princess by Franz Xaver von Schonwerth (new)
-- Wild Romance: A Victorian Story of A Marriage, A Trial, and A Self-Made Woman by Chloe Schama (used)
-- A small box set of 3 short story volumes, including Dave Eggers (used)
-- Queen of Kings by Maria Dahvana Headley (used)
-- Bird Box by Josh Malerman (new, signed)
-- The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld (new)
-- A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab (new)
-- The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon (new)
(so many great new SFF novels are out/coming out now, it's killing me!)
Total: 10 books; spent $90

So, grand totals for February: $184/21 books. Considerably more restrained than January.

Except... that's not actually all the books I acquired in February. Because our dear David went to ALA in February. And because our dear David, being a dear, brought me stacks of books home, right alongside his own stacks and stacks. :)

But I don't really have to count free books... do I? Oh dear, I haven't even catalogued all those ARCs!

Which bring me to the more up-to-date March confession.

No need to panic -- this one isn't nearly as long. It's only been a week, after all. :)

This past Friday, we didn't go to Schuler at all. Nope, instead, we did something radically different... we went to a Barnes & Noble! I picked up just two (2! So restrained! So reasonable!) books:
-- Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley (new)
-- Broken Harbor by Tana French (bargain)
(and another coloring book, which I am still not counting! la lala la la!)
Total: 2 books; spent $23

And then yesterday I visited my sister in Kalamazoo (yep, it's a real place) for my nephew's first birthday and there is a lovely little independent bookstore there called the BookBug, so my family had to take a little field trip. I bought quite a lot, but most of it was for my nephews (and, naturally, books bought for other people do not count! yay!), so I ended up with... will you look at that... two books:
-- Unstoppable Octobia by Sharon Flake (new, signed)
-- The Boy Who Lost Fairyland by Catherynne Valente (new)
Total: 2 (!!) books; spent $34 (plus, like, 3 times as much for my nephews -- but boys need books!!!)

So, thus far, March is being respectable and modest on the book front.
Grand total: $57, 4 books

I'm pretty sure it won't last. :)

ETA: I just ordered a copy of Holly Black's The Darkest Part of the Forest for $9 on Amazon. Sooo... make that 5 books and $66. Yeah, this whole restraint thing is looking weaker all the time.

Edited AGAIN to add: I already realized that I forgot some.
-- The Freedom Maze by Delia Sherman, ordered direct from the publisher ($10)
-- The Sculptor by Scott McCloud, which a friend of mine picked up for me at a reading ($25) -- technically in February.

And also David gave me copies of 3 actual books, that were not ARCs: A Plague of Unicorns, A Discovery of Witches, and Hild. So I suppose I should put those in acquisitions, even though they were free...? Oh man, now my totals are all wonky. Wait for it...

February: 22 books, $209
March: 9 books, $76

Never mind all that stuff I said about restraint. Or about how this post was gonna be shorter.

>66 jjmcgaffey: Ooh, Islands of Chaldea! I've been looking forward to that - tell me what you think, when you get around to reading it.

A+ hauls. Excellent job.

>66 jjmcgaffey: Will do. I almost cried when I saw it in the bookstore... my friend was like "what's the deal?" and I was all, "this is the last new Diana Wynne Jones book ever!" He didn't get it.

>67 norabelle414: Thank you, thank you. I was pretty pleased with them myself. My pocketbook and my already-straining floorboards were not so pleased, but they can suck it. :D

The only book I've read lately is a little middle grade/chapter book, but it totally counts! Wheee!

Book #23


A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans by Laurence Yep and Joanne Ryder
Ok, so our David already did all the gushing over on his thread so most of my thoughts are just an echo. This is an early middle grade fantasy novel and it doesn't do anything particularly new or shiny on the surface -- there's a dragon and a girl and they meet and have to try to understand one another, etc. But the way the story treats these familiar figures, and its openness about the emotional circumstances that bring the two together, make the book something fresh and, indeed, charming. This is a little story about a girl and a dragon, both of whom think the other is her new pet, both of whom have lost someone dear, and both of whom have some grief to work through. Ultimately, the story is very frank about how we feel when we lose those nearest our hearts -- and the final scene is a wonder. The young target audience will no doubt enjoy the adventure and antics as our main characters get into all kinds of magical nonsense together, but parents might note that this is a book that does more than entertain; I think that, in its own gentle way, this book actually could help children who have experienced recent loss. That it can do so without losing its charm and entertainment value is a testament to its quality.

>69 beserene: That one looks so wonderful. I'm going to have to pick it up at some point.

>69 beserene: Adding that one to the list to get for Charlie. Thanks for the review!

>69 beserene: Yay! I'm glad you liked it as much as I did.

>70 leahbird: Yes, I think it's worth having, especially if you have little people around the place at all. I suspect it's perfect for its target audience too. :)

>71 scaifea: Hooray! You'll have to let us know if Charlie likes it as well as we did. :)

>72 tapestry100: Thanks for passing it on to me, my dear. Is this ARC coming back to you or do you want it passed on elsewhere? I was going to text you that but I keep forgetting.

>73 beserene: Pass it on. It's not something I'll probably be reading again any time soon, and I think I want to get the hardcover when it's released anyway.