NorthernStar's Notes for 2019

This is continued from my 2018 thread, which I didn't keep up very well, so no automatic continuation.

Here is the link: https://www.librarything.com/topic/286283

I reread most of Carrie Vaughn's Kitty series at the end of last year. Today I finished off the last book, Kitty Saves the World. A very satisfying end to a series I thoroughly enjoyed.

I am now starting John Scalzi's Head On, the sequel to the excellent Lock In. I'm expecting good things from it, I wish our library had got a copy earlier.

Starred and following. Happy New Year!

>3 Marissa_Doyle: Happy New Year to you too!

Happy new year! Looking forward to seeing what you read.

Settling down to watch your 2019 adventures. I hope you have a fantastic 2019.

Happy new year! I hope it brings you good times in books and in real life.

Happy New Year! Wishing you good reading and a happy life.

Happy New Year. May you enjoy your reading in 2019!

Happy 2019! May there be many a good book in store.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, and I look forward to your visits to the pub.

Thanks for all the New Year's wishes!

I finished Head On, and really enjoyed it, but not, perhaps, as much as Lock In.

>13 NorthernStar: Same reaction I had. I found the 'Lock In' concept and world-building surrounding it to be more compelling - and interesting - than the mystery/police procedural aspects of the stories. Pretty good books though. If Scalzi writes more Chris Shane stories, I am likely to read them.

BTW... did you envision Chris as male or female?

>14 ScoLgo: - I'll definitely read more as well. As for the M/F question, I don't think that I really came to a conclusion about that.

>15 NorthernStar: I found myself thinking of Chris as male more often than not. By contrast, I thought of Martha Wells' murderbot as female as I was reading those books.

I am a male of the species so I don't know if that was my own innate prejudices - or the 'voice' of each respective author coming through in the narratives? Still scratching my head whenever I happen to think about it...

I can't say about Chris Shane, as I am yet to read (more probable - listen to) Lock in and Head on (both of which just became bumped up on the probability list, thanks for that NorthernStar!) but in my head Murberbot was strictly non-gendered, swaying sometimes into thinking of it as male, sometimes female.

I think way newer sf experiments with gender and gender identity is interesting, and much needed. A lot of the older sf is quite stereotyped. I love Iain M Banks' Culture books but often enough entities that could had been non-gendered - he has a lot of AI's/ship-minds, and such - comes through as distinctly male. Just as an example.
(I may remember wrong, it has been some time since I last read any of them. In my memory they are mainly male, though.)

For anyone who is interested in the Lock In books, there is a free prequel available on the Tor website, which sets the background for the books.

https://www.tor.com/2014/05/13/unlocked-an-oral-history-of-hadens-syndrome-john-...

The other interesting thing about Lock In and Head On is that there are two versions of the audio book - one with a male reader (Wil Wheaton), and one with a female reader (Amber Benson). I haven't listened to either, although I'd like to at some point. I found it interesting that I pictured Chris Shane as male and Murderbot as female (albeit asexual).

>19 tardis: I listened to Lock In narrated by Wil Wheaton and completely saw Chris Shane as male as a result. It wasn't until afterwards when I was reading other reviews that I discovered a gender was never referenced for the character. Very sneak on Scalzi and whoever planned the audio books! I bet the people that listened to the Amber Benson version saw Chris more often as female.

Now I HAVE to listen to Lock In! Damn!

>21 Busifer: with the male or female reader?

>22 NorthernStar: I really enjoy Wil Wheaton's voice acting, so I guess I'll go with the male.

>23 Busifer: I really liked him as a narrator for Redshirts.

>24 NorthernStar: I actually read that one on paper, so had no idea how talented a voice actor he is until I listened to The Dispatcher. After that I don't want to read a John Scalzi book again - I want to listen to it!

Chiming in here to add that I also am a fan of Will Wheaton narrations. I miss my audio books. Life has taken a turn that doesn't leave room for them.

Happy New Year and Happy New Thread, NorthernStar! I hope you have a very healthy 2019. Glad to hear you're mending so quickly.

>23 Busifer: & >24 NorthernStar: I listened to Wil Wheaton narrate Scalzi's Agent to the Stars and he knocked it out of the park.

I loved that Murderbot was never designated as a specific gender, but I always suspected it leaned one way more than the other. I wonder if at some point I should start a dedicated "What gender do you picture Murderbot ?" thread.

>27 clamairy: I guess such a thread could get interesting, possibly branching into a larger discussion on author voice, and choices in protagonist gender.

Well, going back to work has definitely cut into my reading time, and also on the time I have to report on reading. I have finished a couple of library books, though. The first was Gone Gull by Donna Andrews, I enjoy her mysteries. They are pretty light and totally improbable, but with characters I like. The second was Echoes of Evil by Heather Graham. Suspense, a bit of a mystery, a bit of romance, and a bit of paranormal. Not bad, but if you've read one, you've pretty much read them all.

I'm currently working on Running Past Fifty, also from the library. So far it is more anecdote and less advice than I thought it would be.

Our library is now closed for renovations until February 11 or so. They are planning to have some books at pop-up locations in the interim, but I know the collection will be limited. That means I'll be doing a lot of rereading from my own books once I finish my current read.

Well, I finished Running Past Fifty by Gail Waesche Kislevitz. It was mostly short articles based on interviews with a variety of older runners, many of them famous, either in the past or now. Mostly eastern US runners, but it had a couple of Canadians. Very focused on running in races, rather than just for enjoyment. Once I'd read about a few, the runners all started to sound the same. Since I am not very interested in competitive sports, the only runner in the book I had heard of was the late Ed Whitlock, who was certainly an inspiration. I was also hoping for more advice and tips on running longer while minimizing injury. This book wasn't terrible, but it is not the book to inspire you to get out and run. It will go back to the library with no regrets.

I needed a change, so I started a reread of Elizabeth Moon's Vatta's War series, starting with Trading in Danger. This was quickly followed by Marque and Reprisal, Engaging the Enemy, Command Decision, and finally I'm almost finished Victory Conditions. It's been quite a while since I last read these, and I wasn't sure if I would still like them as much as before, but I think I might even like them better.

Any new Elizabeth Moon is automatically on my to-read list. The only books of hers I haven't cared for are a couple of prequels to the Paksenarrion series. I think I first came across her through an early collaboration with Anne McCaffery.

Next up, some more John Scalzi. I've finally got The Consuming Fire from the library, and plan to reread The Collapsing Empire first.

>31 NorthernStar: - I enjoyed Vatta recently. There are tow more if you're not already aware cold welcome and into the fire I haven't yet continued beyond Engaging the enemy, but will do so at some point because they're fun.

>32 reading_fox:

I did not care for Cold Welcome or Into the Fire

>32 reading_fox:, >33 suitable1: I've read both Cold Welcome and Into the Fire fairly recently. I may reread them while the first series are still fresh in my mind. I enjoyed them first time around, but it was so long since I read the Vatta's War books that it is hard to compare.

I realized that I missed a book from the library that I read before the Vatta books. It was Planetside by Michael Mammay; a military/political science fiction. It features an older, almost-retired colonel asked by an old and powerful friend to head to a distant planet to investigate the disappearance of the son of an important politician. When he gets there, he finds the disappearance is only a small part of the problem. I think this is Mammay's first book. Not bad, but what does the fact that I forgot I'd read it tell you? I'll be interested to see what he comes up with next, though.

Finished my reread of The Collapsing Empire, and enjoyed it just as much the second time.

>35 NorthernStar: I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the Scalzi. I bought that for my kindle when it was on sale a year or so ago, but I keep forgetting to move it up my virtual stack. I've enjoyed everything of his I've read or listened to so far.

>36 clamairy: The Collapsing Empire was super fun, I recommend it!

>32 reading_fox: >33 suitable1: >34 NorthernStar: I read some reviews and descriptions of the Vatta follow-up books and decided to hold for a while. I fear my reaction would be the same as suitable1's.
But you say they are readable? Hmn... I might note them for consideration, at least. I'm thinking of a reread of the whole series sometime this year and might be tempted afterwards...

Well, haven't updated this in a while. Time for an info dump.

After finishing The Collapsing Empire, I got going on The Consuming Fire. I had lots going on, including a trip out of town to get my shoulder checked again, so it took me a long time. Turns out I have a partially torn rotator cuff tendon, which according to my doctor is unlikely to heal on its own. I was able to see a physiotherapist, though, while I was there, and she gave me some exercises, and suggested that surgery should only be a last resort. As it isn't giving me much trouble, I'll try the exercise route for now. Stayed overnight with friends who have a new (rescued) cat. We weren't sure how the cat and Duncan (my dog) would get along, but they were great. The cat was wary, but not stressed, and only took a swipe (which didn't connect) at Duncan once. Duncan didn't try anything more than a bit of butt-sniffing. A success all around! And I made it into the used book store there, and found a few things. I listened to the audio book of Artemis by Andy Weir on the way down and back. I read the book last year, and enjoyed listening to the audio version.

Nasty cold weather while I was out of town, and for a week or so after. It was getting down to -30°C at night, and not too much warmer during the day. The block heater cord on my truck cracked near the plug, so I couldn't even plug it in until I had a chance to fix it. Fortunately my my truck started first try even at those temperatures. It was also really windy out of town, and I almost froze my ears just going across the parking lot to one of the stores. I put my hat on after that! Fortunately it has warmed up a lot since then (only -7 today!).

Back to books - it took a long time to finish The Consuming Fire, mainly due to distractions. I really liked it, though, so I'm not sure why it took so long, except maybe that it was a hardcover, and too heavy to read in bed, which was pretty much the best time of day for reading just then.

I went on to read some books I'd bought online after that: Lake Silence by Anne Bishop, Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs, and Martians Abroad by Carrie Vaughn (my copy was signed by the author - bonus!). All good.

One of the used books I'd picked up was Lois McMaster Bujold's Horizon, the fourth in the Sharing Knife tetralogy. I had an ARC of this, so took the opportunity to pick up the paperback of it. So I reread the whole series: Beguilement, Legacy, Passage, and Horizon. I don't think I've read any LMB that I didn't like. There is also a new ebook out, which is set in that world, that I want to read soon.

Our library finally reopened, so I was able to get more books out. The new layout after the renos looks great. First I read The Armored Saint by Myke Cole. First in a series, and I think the second is also available, so I'll be checking it out soon. Then a non-fiction about historical medical curiosities, The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth and other Curiosities, by Thomas Morris. It was kind of fun, with examples (not always capable of modern explanation) pulled from older medical journals and letters. Perhaps not for the squeamish. The third I'm still working on - Blackwing by Ed McDonald.

I'm looking forward to reading The consuming fire, so glad to hear that you enjoyed it. Lake silence is on my TBR pile but I need to read the last 2 books in the original Others series first!

I hope your shoulder gets better soon and that you keep warm!

I can really recommend listening to both Collapsing Empire and The Consuming Fire. Reading is all fine and good, I usually prefer to read new to me books, using audio for "rereads", but Wil Wheaton do such a fantastic job voice acting these books that I'm hesitant to try them in paper form.

Whichever format I am eternally thankful to you for getting me to read them!

The Armored Saint is one of the books that my son read for his course about medievalism. He liked it, and wants to read the rest of the series.

I kind of stalled on Blackwing, but will get back to it. Instead I read Death's Rival by Faith Hunter, and Queen of Sorrow by Sara Beth Durst. I like the Jane Yellowrock series, but this one seemed bloodier and darker than previous books, I also had some issues with the characters in this one. Queen of Sorrows finishes the Queens of Renthia trilogy. This took me an unusually long time to finish, I'm not sure why. It didn't grip me as much as the previous two, and I found the characters' actions and motivations less believable.

As a palate cleanser, I read The Victory Garden by Rhys Bowen. It's a historical novel set in first world war England, not a mystery like other books of hers that I've read. I enjoyed it and read through it in one day. It's a feel-good novel, triumph over adversity, a little romance, a little conflict, and a happy ending.

>42 NorthernStar: I have Queen of sorrow on the TBR pile but am not looking forward to it as much as I was to the previous two books. I didn't like Naelith because she was so obsessed with her children, and I fear that is going to drive the third book.

Sorry to find you are struggling with Blackwing; it was one of my favourite fantasy reads of 2018.

>44 -pilgrim-: I'm enjoying the story, but the large-format paperback was much more awkward to read in bed than the smaller paperbacks. I'm a small book fan.

>45 NorthernStar: I can relate to that. It is not the format that I would choose, although the cover art is beautiful.

I tried to renew Blackwing by Ed McDonald from the library, but there was a hold on it so I couldn't renew. Rather than return it half-read, I kept it several days past the due date. There are fines in my future! Blackwing is a dark fantasy, set in a world ripped apart by a war between immortals that regular humans are caught up in. One side turns them into hard to kill and (perhaps) mindless warriors, the other leaves them free, but seems to use them like pawns. This author is really hard on his characters, but makes you care about them. First installment in a series; the second one is in our library now. I'm not sure if I'll be getting it out; I have to be in the right mood to read something like this.

Once I finished Blackwing, I had Seanan McGuire's latest InCryptid book, That Ain't Witchcraft, to read. I love these books, and have no complaints about the latest installment.

I know I've posted this on another thread, but I was lucky enough to hear both a great horned owl and a boreal owl this weekend. I've never actually seen a boreal owl, and really want to.

Finished Rot and Ruin by Johnathan Maberry last night. It was a book bullet from someone on LT. It is an excellent YA zombie thriller. A rather whiny kid discovers the world is not what he thought, and zombies are not the only evil out there, and he does a lot of growing up in the process. I think there are 4 books in this series, and some short fiction. I will be looking for the sequel when I catch up with my TBR pile.

I finished another library book, Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho. Really enjoyed this. I think I may have read at least part of it while visiting tardis at some point, but I didn't remember the end.

I also finished an ER ebook, Past Presence by Nicole Bross. This is a first novel, and I thought it was pretty good. Had elements of the paranormal, mystery, and a bit of romance. I posted a review of this and a few other outstanding ER reviews, and entered a few new and used books I picked up while out of town this week. I also bought a paperback copy of Lock In which I found at the grocery store. It's not long since I read it, but I want to have my own copy as I'm sure I'll read it again.

I finished a couple more library books:
The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley, the latest, and I understand last, of the Flavia de Luce mysteries. and The Queen of Crows by Myke Cole, sequel to The Armored Saint, both of which are good.

I also am working on an audiobook of The Sixth Extinction, by Elizabeth Kolbert. Fascinating and a bit scary tales of the five great extinction events in Earth's history and the evidence that we are now in the middle of the sixth. I started this on my trip out of town, and am listening to the rest of it in short bits while driving around town.

We are still having unseasonably warm weather, and the cross country skiing is almost at an end. There are several bare patches on the trails now, so I probably only have a couple of days left. I plan to start running again when I can't ski any longer.

The sequel to Sorcerer to the Crown is out now! It's called The True Queen.

>51 reconditereader: I checked at my library, and it's not available anywhere yet. :(

I finished listening to The Sixth Extinction and really enjoyed it. Very informative about both the current extinction crisis and past events. Coincidentally, there have been a few things mentioned in the book that I have seen referenced in recent news stories.

Dust and Decay by Johnathan Maberry, sequel to Rot and Ruin. Also enjoyed this one, will look for the rest of the series. This is an excellent YA zombie series. Benny and his friends continue to mature. Lots of action. Library book.

An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors by Curtis Craddock. Hit by several book bullets on this one. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Interesting steampunky magical system. Interlibrary loan, and will now have to look for the next.

Celebrity Werewolf ER ebook. Finished it, but it is time I will never get back. May be the perfect book for someone, but not me.

We are definitely into spring. I was up the highway at Muncho Lake last weekend for a curling tournament. Lovely drive through the mountains! Saw first bear of the year, plus elk, stone sheep, mountain goats, caribou, first robins, and first flowers blooming!



These are very tiny alpine flowers, purple saxifrage. (Saxifraga oppositifolia) This patch of flowers is about 6cm across.

Those are gorgeous!!! Saxifrage is such an early riser, isn't it?

Beautiful.

You curl on the lake ice, right? So I take it the ice surface hasn't gone to mush yet? There's still snow in our extreme north, here in Sweden, but it's not fit for skiing or snowmobiling - too wet and grainy.

>54 Bookmarque:, I understand these saxifrage wait under the snow, and are ready to bloom days after it is gone.

>55 Busifer: The ice was starting to get soft/broken on top, but was not wet and still good and thick. I expect there will be an early breakup this year. There are lots of snow free areas, and I was starting to see green on the trees as of this Friday.

Finished The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer. A reread, I first read this as a library book, then bought it when the paperback came out. Enjoyed it.

>57 NorthernStar: You got me with a BB for the Wen Spencer! It sounds great.

>58 Sakerfalcon: - so far I have liked all of Wen Spencer's books that I've read. They don't seem too easy to find, though, and there is at least one more series I want to get hold of.

>59 NorthernStar: I found a copy of Black wolves in Forbidden Planet yesterday. So that's a start for my Wen Spencer reading!

Finished The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie. Excellent, as many others have noted here. Read an ebook copy.

Then started and finished another ebook, Witchmark by C. L. Polk. Also excellent.

I had a trip over the end of April/beginning of May to Vancouver Island for some work meetings, and managed a quick visit with Mom & Bob on Saltspring on the way by. My first visit since their house sold. I was able to stay with Bob's daughter and her husband, which was very nice. Mom and I got some pots planted for their little patio. Weather was nice, but not great, while I was there. But - I came back home to cold weather and snow! I missed the worst of it, and it didn't last too long. Then it turned really nice last week. Spring flowers are blooming. I have daffodils, squill, and tulips blooming; my nanking cherry is just starting; and my saskatoon berries are not far from blooming.

After I got back I had two books waiting for me, the result of several book bullets (looking at you pgmcc, and a few others!): The City of Brass and The Kingdom of Copper by S. A. Chakraborty. Both excellent, as advertised.

I have to check my ereader, as I think I finished at least one more ebook while I was gone or just after I got back.

>42 NorthernStar: I've been eyeing The Victory Garden on Amazon because they keep recommending it to me. Glad to know it's a decent read.

>53 NorthernStar: I agree The Sixth Extinction is a worthy read. Depressing, though. Her other book Field Notes from a Catastrophe is basically more of the same. In fact I think Field Notes is the older of the two.

>61 NorthernStar: I keep hearing such good things about Ann Leckie, but my TBR stacks are overflowing.

>62 NorthernStar: I am on the verge of starting The Kingdom of Copper and am really looking forward to it. I did read the first two pages and it looks like it is an immediate continuation of The City of Brass.

>64 pgmcc: there is a five-year gap, but it is nicely bridged and further filled in as you go.

Sunday night I finished a reread of City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong. Enjoyable, as long as I can ignore the errors and inconsistencies about the Yukon. The fourth volume of this series arrived at my library, and I decided I should read the others again before I read it. I think I've missed one of the series, and am not sure which.

Went to the library yesterday to pick up an interlibrary loan of The Ends of the World by Peter Brannen. This sounds really good; I'm hoping for more details on some of the extinction events mentioned in The Sixth Extinction.

I also found that they had finally acquired Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs, so I took that too. Love this series.

I read City of the Lost as a physical book, but the second was an audio which was kind of ruined for me because the narrator kept pronouncing toque as toke. Headslap.

>67 Bookmarque: that would be awful, why wouldn't they make sure they were pronouncing things correctly?

>67 Bookmarque:, >68 NorthernStar: "Toke" is the correct pronunciation, according to Google. Which probably explains where they got it from..

>69 -pilgrim-: - having lived in Canada all my life, I've never heard it pronounced that way! And we wear toques all winter!

I've never heard it pronounced that way either. It's just wrong. And it was SO ANNOYING. I didn't like the book anyway, but that made it worse. Cringe.

>66 NorthernStar: Took a book bullet on The Ends of the World. I requested a digital copy from my library. I'll check back in to make sure it isn't awful.

>71 Bookmarque: Ok, so how IS it pronounced? My dictionary from the1800s says it is "toke" actually they have "tok" with a long vowel symbol over the "o", but I don't know how to do that on my tablet. They have the word "toquet" as being pronounced "toka" with the long vowel being the "a"

<73 it has a long O sound, like too, or even a U sound.

"toke" is something some people smoke, or the act of smoking that substance.

You wouldn't want to get them mixed up!

Just to clarify: I wasn't implying that I, or Google, know better than you guys. Simply that if Google thinks that, then the narrator getting it wrong is more understandable.

I thought it would be pronounced the French way, kind of "tå'k"? In Sweden it's a "mössa", though, and I'm used to there not being a good English word for it other than... soft cap, maybe.

In older books I have seen it referred to as a Phrygian cap. But yes, no specific name in my vocabulary.

>74 NorthernStar: Thank you.

Well, it took a while to find my thread, as I haven't updated for a while. Good discussion above about pronunciation/language. I know of several words I've consistently mispronounced due to never having actually heard them spoken. There are probably more that I don't know I'm mispronouncing!

Back to the books:

Finished Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs. I really like this series, and this was no exception.

Finished The Ends of the World by Peter Brannen. Really enjoyed the first chapters of this (1-6), but found the last few chapters a bit repetitious. I would have loved more pictures, such as maps of the continents in the various ages and pictures of the various organisms discussed. I was busy googling various things most of the way through, then I discovered that there was a whole section of pictures, about 2/3 of the way along. Not everything I was looking for, but some of it. Worth reading.

Finished getting up to date with Kelley Armstrong's Rockton series, City of the Lost, A Darkness Absolute, This Fallen Prey, and Watcher in the Woods. I like most of her other books better than this series. A big part of my reaction may be that I have spent quite a bit of time in the Yukon, and the setting doesn't really ring true to me. Still enjoyed them, and will keep up with the series.

I also finished a couple of Early Reviewers ebooks over the last week or so.

Pillar of Darkness by Dave Duncan is an alternate worlds/sci fi thriller. A mysterious pillar of darkness (by day) and light (by night) has appeared in Africa, causing all sorts of problems. Technology fails within it, the more sophisticated it is, the quicker is fails. People who enter the pillar, known as Sungoback, are more likely to disappear permanentlly than to ever be seen again. The story follows a group who, for various reasons of their own, want to explore the area within the pillar. This reminds me in many ways of some of Edgar Rice Burroughs adventures. As the group push on towards the centre, they lose members in various ways and overcome challenges. The ending is interesting, but a bit abrupt.

The Chilton Crosse Collection #1 by Traci Borum is a set of three novels set in the Cotswolds village of Chilton Crosse. The first two novels are fairly well-done village-life light romances, with appealing characters and enough plot to be interesting. The third was more of a Christian novel, not a romance. The ending was a bit abrupt and felt unfinished. Not what I expected, given the first two stories.

>79 NorthernStar: Oh! That's great to know about the pictures. I too have been cursing the lack of illustrations. I think I'll go have a look!

Having spent zero time in the Yukon, I appreciate the insight since I've read two of the books and may...just may...read another, but probably not as an audio. If the publisher keeps the same narrator. Oh and speaking of narrators, Dick Hill retired. That means someone else will take over the Reacher books and it will be...

Scott Brick.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I've been busy lately - a couple of weekends ago I walked/ran in a 12k event that goes up from the Alaska Highway to a telecommunications tower and back down again. I mostly walked up and mostly ran down. My time was almost 6 minutes better than last year. Hooray for my new heart valve! This past weekend there were several events to do with aboriginal days and the solstice, plus the local triathlon. This year I found a triathlon group who needed another swimmer and I did half the swim part (500 m). I haven't actually been swimming a lot, and would rather have run, but was happy just to be involved. The triathlon photographer was sick, so I also was asked to take pictures. I haven't finished going through them, but have some good ones.

Just finished The Never King by James Abbott, from the library. The beginning of this seemed familiar, but I don't think I had read this before. It follows a warrior who had been set up and then unjustly imprisoned. He and some other prisoners are helped to escape from the prison by a spymaster of the former king. He then sets out to get revenge on the people who set him up and are now ruling the kingdom, and finds that there is something very strange going on. This took me quite a long time to finish, I'm not sure why.

Finished a couple more library books:

Toucan Keep a Secret by Donna Andrews - cozy mystery fluff, but I enjoy this series and this did not disappoint.

The Big Kahuna by Janet Evanovich, new entry in the Fox and O'Hare series. Not as much fun as some of her others, but good escapism.

Then some ebooks:

The Omega Objection by G. L. Carriger - Second of her San Andreas Shifters series. Very different from her parasol protectorate or finishing school series, but also features interesting and likeable characters. Not for everyone.

Snowspelled and Thornbound by Stephanie Burgis. I had read a review of the first of these somewhere (by an author on Goodreads or Twitter I think). Historical romance/fantasy novellas set in an alternate history England where men are mages and women are politicians who run the country. It follows a young woman who fought to break tradition and become a mage, then overextended her powers and burnt them out. Fun, and I enjoyed the first enough to get the second, which I also liked.

Swordheart by T. Kingfisher. A review of this by Lois McMaster Bujold caught my attention. This is a nice blend of fantasy, adventure, romance, and humour. After Halla's husband died, the only relative who would take her in is her husband's great-uncle. She has been his housekeeper ever since, and inherits his fortune when he dies. Her awful Aunt-in-law doesn't want to see the property go out of the family, and locks Halla in her bedroom to force her to agree to marry her clammy-handed cousin. Deciding that death is a better alternative, she takes down the old sword hanging on the wall, and tries to figure out how to kill herself with it. Much to her surprise, an armed warrior, who has been enchanted into the sword, appears and is determined to protect her, even against herself. Adventure ensues. This was so much fun, highly recommended.

>84 NorthernStar: Your thread is a downright danger to my TBR list.

>85 2wonderY: happy to help!

>85 2wonderY: I thought that was the meaning of all this?! :)

Finished reading Scourged by Kevin Hearne, last book in the Iron Druid series. I've enjoyed this series, but this was a pretty violent conclusion in parts. Satisfying ending, though.

Another library book finished as well: The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion. This is the third in the series, and I enjoyed finding out what was going on with Don, Rosie, and their friends and family again.

>83 NorthernStar: Glad that new valve is doing it's job!

>87 Busifer: Ha!

Yep. Took a bullet on Swordheart...

>90 Marissa_Doyle: hope you like it!

Cave of Bones by Anne Hillerman. Anne has carried on writing about the characters her father Tony Hillerman created, focusing on Bernie Manuelito. I don't like them as well as her father's books, but they're still pretty good. This one features a wilderness program for at-risk teens, missing persons, possible stolen antiquities, and misappropriated funds. A teen is missing, and then the instructor who goes to look for her disappears before she shows up.

>88 NorthernStar: I really enjoyed The Rosie Result! It was nice to get back to Don, Rosie and all.

OK, time for an update. I was away camping for a week, and had some major stuff happening before I left, so I'm pretty far behind.

Before I left I finished Witchy Eye by D. J. Butler, which I got from the library. This is a fantasy set in an alternate eastern North America, which revolves around Sarah Calhoun, a fifteen-year-old with a bad eye. She discovers she is not who she thought she was, and her whole life is changing as a result. The world-building is interesting, and the magic system intriguing. I liked it enough to continue with the sequel, Witchy Winter, but haven't finished that yet.

I took my ereader with me, and got through several novellas and an ER book while I was away. I read Lois McMaster Bujold's The Orphans of Raspay and Knife Children. Orphans is the latest in the Penric series, and is excellent. Knife Children is set in the world of The Sharing Knife. Also excellent. Both left me wanting more. The next novella was Sweep of the Blade by Ilona Andrews, the fourth and latest in the Innkeeper chronicles. These are released as serialized novels on their website, so I had read most of it, but the final version is always slightly different. Really enjoyed this, as expected.

The ER book was The Corpse wore Stilettos by M. J. O'Neill. This was somewhere between a cozy mystery and chick-lit. I'd rate it as OK, and would read more by this author from the library, but wouldn't go out of my way for it.

Also took along my paperback copy of Heroine's Journey by Sarah Kuhn, third in this series. Didn't finish it until I got home. Enjoyed this, but found Bea Tanaka (the main character) pretty whiney through most of the book. By the ending she had improved a lot. Fun series.

I got an ebook copy of Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse from the library just before I left, and didn't have time to get it loaded on my ereader. Read it as soon as I got back. Really enjoyed it, but RR is pretty hard on her heroine!

Am currently working on The Emperor's Blades by Brian Stavely, which was TOR's free ebook for July. So far am really liking it.

As for my major stuff, I am going to be retiring sooner than planned. The college I work at has cancelled my program for lack of enrollment (mainly due to lack of advertising in my opinion). My best option was taking the retirement package, which is actually pretty good for me. I probably would have been ready to go within the next year anyway, but hate that my small community is loosing yet another option.

>93 NorthernStar: Oh, so sorry to hear that. Hope it all works out to your benefit anyway.

Sounds like you had a good camping trip with many satisfying books at least.

>93 NorthernStar: I am so sorry to hear about the cancellation. Small communities need options, in everything, or people will move away.
Good about the retirement package, though.

>93 NorthernStar: I wish you the best of luck for the retirement. I hope you have a wonderful time.

>93 NorthernStar: I hope that your early retirement turns out to be a blessing in disguise somehow..

Thanks for all the good wishes for my retirement, I'm sure I will find lots to do and enjoy myself thoroughly.

I'm getting behind on my reading updates! My excuse is a visit to tardis and her family in Edmonton. We went to the folk music festival, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Highlights for me were Blue Rodeo and Brandi Carlile, but there were lots of other great acts. I was sad that John Prine was ill and unable to attend. We also did a few runs, visited the U of A botanic garden, and I did some shopping and visiting and generally had a good time.

I finished The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley, and enjoyed it, but it didn't stick with me at all. Not sure if I will look for additional books in this series.

Finally finished Witchy Winter by D. J. Butler. I found it easy to put down, and did so several times, so it took me about 3 weeks to finish. Enjoyed the story, so I did want to find out what happened (except I think this is only part two of a trilogy) but found it hard going. The story changes from one point of view to another frequently and without warning, and I found it hard to keep all the characters and their affiliations straight. Also, there were several times when characters were saved by previously impossible magic.

Reticence by Gail Carriger is the fourth and final book in the Custard Protocol series, which follows on from the Parasol Protectorate series. A fun romp. A few new characters are introduced and some old ones reappear, including throwbacks and references to both the Parasol Protectorate books and the Finishing School series. Luckily tardis had this out from the library while I was visiting!

I also reread a few books on my ereader, because it is handier than a paper book while travelling.

Also, a new ER ebook arrived and was downloaded while I was away, The Nanny at Number 43 by Nicola Cassidy. I enjoyed this. I couldn't remember why I had requested it, as it looked like it was going to turn out to be a pretty average romance plot set in Ireland in the late 1800s, featuring a nanny who comes to help a man with his baby after his wife dies in childbirth. That was a dead wrong impression. The book opens with a family in their new home finding a nasty surprise in their garden. There are several threads following that family, the man with the baby, his housekeeper, a man just out of prison, and the nanny. I like the way the author has woven these threads together, stepping back and forth in time, giving you hints and clues to what is really going on. A good, suspenseful mystery with a satisfying conclusion. I will be looking out for more books by this author.

Forgot to add, I also listened to an audiobook copy of The Last Policeman by Ben Winters on the way to visit tardis. Enjoyed the story. I understand there are more in the series, and will have to get the library to get them in for me.

Happy unexpected retirement! May you always remember what day it is.

May you always remember what day it is.

Good luck with that! Seems to be a regular discussion item in this household.

Finished Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews, a reread. I read it in hardcover from the library sometime last year and now have my own copy in paperback. I've really enjoyed this series, and the conclusion is satisfying. I do hope the authors will continue to give us more books set in this world.

Back to work tomorrow for my last week at the college. Mixed feelings!

Good luck for your last week.

Good luck.

Best wishes for your last week!

>101 NorthernStar: Best of luck with that last week. Those mixed feelings are completely understandable.

The day of the week designation is a social construct! Now you can ignore it! 😆

I’m sorry your program was canceled, but congrats on being able to retire!

I did not know Reticence existed! I’ll have to get it from the library!

I hope your last week has been a memorable one, in a good way.

Yesterday I finished Hope for the Best by Jodi Taylor, a gift from tardis. I've really enjoyed this series (the chronicles of St. Mary's), and this latest entry was also a lot of fun, if a bit hard on Max.

I was lucky enough to find Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews at the local grocery store yesterday. It just came out this week, and I planned to order it but hadn't yet. I finished it overnight. This is the fifth book and fourth full-length novel in a fun urban fantasy series set in an alternate US. The series features interesting magic, good characters, lots of action, and a bit of romance thrown in. This is the first of a new trilogy focusing on Catalina Baylor, younger sister of Nevada, whose story was told in the previous books.

Thanks for all the well wishes on my retirement! I still haven't finished packing up and/or disposing of 25 years of stuff yet, and I discovered my unused vacation carries me up to the 19th before I am completely done, instead of the 12th. Apparently payroll didn't realize that I was actually working this week! I was certainly under the impression that my supervisor expected me to be in, though.

>108 NorthernStar: I'm starting Sapphire Flames tonight. I love this series so expect to enjoy it though it's always nice to hear positive reviews :)

I finished The October Man by Ben Aaronovitch this week, another gift from tardis. This one is a novella in the Rivers series, but set in Germany, with a new protagonist and with only a few mentions of Peter Grant and the English mages. Another really good read.

I'm now doing a reread of Good Omens by Pratchett and Gaiman. Still good. I'm looking forward to seeing the TV series at some point.

Still not finished clearing out my office, but I've only been going in for an hour or two at a time this week. I'm getting ready for my first ever duathlon tomorrow. 5k run, 20k bike, then 2.5k run. I did a 26k bike the other day just to make sure I could. Much more fun than working!

Finished the duathlon! I am very happy with my time of 2:00:14, which was right on the two hours I'd estimated. I was third in my age group (out of 3!) and last one in by a minute or two. This was the first time the triathlon organizers have organized a duathlon, and given the calibre of the other competitors, I'm not surprised at my place.

After the race, the fire department had organized a local Fallen Firefighters walk, which I also participated in. It was only about 2.5k at a slow walk. We had a good turnout. A couple of our firefighters are leaving town, so we said goodbye to them at the firehall afterwards.

Then I had to walk the dog. So I bought something that just required heating for dinner and am spending the evening on the couch.

>111 NorthernStar:
Well done on the duatholon. You had an enegetic and interesting weekend.

wow! congratulations on doing well. you covered a lot of miles what with the dog and all.

Impressive weekend! How are you feeling now?

>111 NorthernStar: Impressive.

>110 NorthernStar: I thoroughly enjoyed the televised version of Good Omens. Some changes, of course, not everything that works in a book works on screen, but ever after Crowley looks like David Tennant and Aziraphale looks like Michael Sheen, in my mind.

>114 -pilgrim-: I felt good after the duathlon, no real soreness, but I was tired for a few days.

This weekend I'm doing a 10k run. Not as well prepared as I could be, so I may have to take it pretty slowly.

I reread Charlaine Harris's An Easy Death, as I've acquired the paperback. It's the start of a new series, quite different from the Sookie Stackhouse books, and I liked it.

I've been plugging away at The Priory of the Orange Tree since August, and ran out of renewals at the library. I was only about 1/3 through it. The book was just too much of a doorstop for me right now, so I returned it. I plan to get it out again over the winter.

I was more in the mood for something light (both in weight and subject) so I decided on a reread of Ilona Andrews earlier Hidden Legacy books (Burn for Me, White Hot, Wildfire, and Diamond Fire). They were perfect for my current mood and lack of concentration.

I'm sure that I'm forgetting something else I read since my last post, but will have to fill it in later if I remember anything.

Today I'm feeling a bit down about retirement. Not the retirement itself, but mostly feeling a bit unappreciated after 25 years. Several friends have asked about when the college will be doing a retirement party for me, but as far as I know there is nothing public planned. Although today the campus admin did mention a staff dinner for me.

>116 NorthernStar: Ouch. I can see why that rankles. Maybe the staff turnover has been so high recently that the admin didn't realise your achievement?

>116 NorthernStar: I wonder if retirement parties are going the way of dinner parties? People don't do much entertaining at home where I live anymore. When one of my co-workers retired after 40 years, there was not so much as a gift card even. This man had worked for this family through three generations, beginning with the grandfather, he trained the current owner and his father before him. I think the grandfather and father would have turned over in their graves at the lack of honor. Sigh. It wasn't out of any animosity, either. Just neglect of the courtesy.

>117 -pilgrim-: >118 MrsLee: I know I am supposed to get a 25 year gift and a retirement gift at some point, but the college held retirement celebrations for a couple of long-time staff members who retired in the spring (on another campus), so it's not that they don't do it anymore.

>118 MrsLee: That is horrible! The disrespect! I'm sorry for the exclamation marks, but really...

>116 NorthernStar: Holding my thumbs for them to get around to a real celebration for you.

>120 Busifer: I absolutely agree!

>120 Busifer:, >121 MrsLee: - Thanks

Went hiking with a good friend and her granddaughter in the mountains on my birthday in September. We watched four caribou for quite a while and saw two porcupines on the way back. My amazing friend Mavis, who will be 81 before too long, was keen to get to the upper lakes, so we went all the way. About 7 hours of hiking, with some pretty good hills!

We had the staff dinner this week. It was nice, but the (small) gifts were obviously picked by someone who either doesn't know me well, or doesn't care. And not to be greedy, but we used to get something really nice for long-term employees when they left. Those come out of a campus gift fund, which I've been paying into for 25 years. (end of whine)

I did get the official college retirement and 25-year gifts, which are Visa gift cards, and for a decent amount. I have to admit I am quite happy not to be working there anymore; the atmosphere is so different from when I started. Also, I am grateful that I don't have to look for work. I may decide to look for some part-time work at some point, but should be able to live reasonably well on my pension and my savings.

I've been working this week on getting all the yard work caught up, as it may well be winter when I get back in a couple of weeks. I wouldn't complain if the nice fall weather we have had for most of September and October so far stays well into November, but it isn't likely. We were actually the hot spot for all of BC one day this week.

And with all this, I haven't been reading a lot. I did finish most of the Tinker series by Wen Spencer, but I am missing the first book. Physical copies don't seem to be available in anything except trade paperback right now, so I hope to find a used copy before too long. The ones I read are Wolf Who Rules, Elfhome, and Wood Sprites. This is a fun urban fantasy series that blends magic, technology, and suspense. My only complaint (aside from missing the first book) is that the end of the last book was quite abrupt, and felt like there should either be more or a sequel.

I am now working on Night and Silence by Seanan McGuire; an excellent addition to the October Daye series. I think I read this last year shortly after my surgery, but some bits are totally unfamiliar so I didn't retain much!

I'm taking a hazardous materials course through the fire department this weekend (Friday night and all day Saturday and Sunday) then leaving Monday morning for Edmonton. Staying with tardis Monday night, then flying out to Nova Scotia the next morning with her and Mr. tardis to visit Dad and Susan and do a 10k run. I think I'll be tired enough when I get there that I won't have any problem adjusting my sleep cycle. I'm looking forward to seeing Nova Scotia in the fall; I've only been there in summer before. And fresh seafood!

I have some ebooks waiting for me to read on the trip.

Sorry about the whole retirement dinner thing. They definitely seem to be phasing them out down here in the Northeastern US. Too expensive, I guess, plus there have been big chunks of boomer all retiring at once. I'm happy to hear that you're pleased with your new circumstances. I too have decided not to look for a job since I relocated, but will probably volunteer with a couple of local non-profits when I finally finish getting my house fixed up.

Finished Night and Silence by Seanan McGuire before I left home. Excellent.

Sunday night the weather changed from fairly warm and sunny to cold, wet, and starting to snow. The first 4 hours of the 12 hour drive to Edmonton on Monday were nasty, with snow, ice, or slush on the road on most of the hills and higher ground. Things got better after that, but there were occasional rain and snow squalls all the way. Then Tuesday I was up before 4:30 to catch an early plane to Nova Scotia with tardis and Mr. tardis. The trip was good and we enjoyed the vivid fall colours on the drive to Dad's.

It's been a good visit so far, but I've not done too much reading, although I did finish Sourdough by Robin Sloan last night. I was hit by several book bullets on this one, and I did enjoy it, so thanks for the recommendations!

Forgot to mention that I listened to Moon Called by Patricia Briggs on my long drive. Borrowed as a digital audiobook from the library. I like the Mercy Thompson series, and it was good to go back to the beginning. Am planning to listen to the second on the way home.

>125 NorthernStar: Nice to see someone else likes the Mercy Thompson series - although I am behind now; I have yet to read the ninth (Fire Touched).

>124 NorthernStar: Glad you arrived safely after that long difficult drive. Hope you enjoy the rest of your visit!

>126 -pilgrim-: I've read all except the most recent Mercy Thompson. I'm waiting for our library to get it or the paperback to come out.

>127 Sakerfalcon: Thanks, it's been lovely so far.

Finished an ER ebook of A Poisoned Prayer by Michael Skeet, which I received some time ago. I enjoyed this. It is a fantasy/adventure/romance set in an alternate France where the nobility use "prayers" to produce magical effects, but peasants with magic are considered cursed. I am now working on the second book in the series.

Finished another ER book, A Tangled Weave by Michael Skeet. This is the second in the series started with The Poisoned Prayer, mentioned above. It is set a few years after the first, and is also a fantasy/adventure/romance set in an alternate France. It features the previous heroine's cousin and a group of fabric smugglers. Several characters from the previous book are also in this one, but I don't think there would be any problem reading this without reading the first. Lots of fun.

I then went on to read Martha Wells' The Cloud Roads and The Serpent Sea and am now working on The Siren Depths. These books of the Raksura have been mentioned and recommended several times here, but I hadn't managed to find copies of them until few months ago, when I found and purchased an ebook bundle that included all three books. Now I am finally reading them. Really good!

Oh, I have been meaning to read something by her beyond Murderbot but have been a bit hesitant as fantasy in general doesn't appeal to me, strange as it may seem given that I read at least some fantasy. Your recommendation means that I might brave her Raksura books.

>130 NorthernStar: Hooray, I'm glad you found the Raksura books. They are great, aren't they! I love that all of the characters are non-human, and the shapechangers aren't cute and mammalian.

>132 Sakerfalcon: Another thing to recommend them, then :-)

>132 Sakerfalcon: - yes, I'm glad I found them! Finished The Siren Depths and now need to look for the others. It looks like paperbacks of the series are being reissued starting soon; probably influenced by her Murderbot popularity.

>133 Busifer: - I think you will probably like them!

My lovely sister tardis found me a copy of Tinker by Wen Spencer, so I read that as soon as I got home. I like this series; a nice mix of fantasy with a bit of science fiction. This first book introduces the relationship between Tinker with Wolf Who Rules and sets the stage for the action in the next books. That relationship is the one thing in the book that didn't really work for me, at least in how it started.

Tardis also found me a copy of Pyramids by Terry Pratchett which was a fun read, but not as good as some of the other Discworld books.

I also read an ebook copy of Dark Divide by Carrie Vaughn. This is a novella spinoff from the Kitty series featuring Cormac and Amelia. I enjoyed it.

Also finished The Murders of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson, which was a rather creepy ebook novella from TOR. Every time Molly bleeds a new Molly is created. These alternate versions turn violent and attack the original (?) Molly and others and must be killed. How did she get this way? What will happen to her?

>130 NorthernStar: Another plus for the Raksura series! My daughter loved them. Going to have to move them on to the 'read soon' list.

>135 clamairy: yes, read them!

Finished Blood Trade by Faith Hunter, 6th in the Jane Yellowrock series. I liked this better than the last one, but there seemed to be a few holes, or things not thoroughly explained, or maybe I've just forgotten some of what happened in previous books. Didn't seem nearly as dark and gory as the last, and I liked the ending.

Starting Ash Kickers by Sean Grigsby, second in the Smoke Eaters series, which I got from the library. I enjoyed the first, which featured firefighters in an alternate US whose main job was dealing with dragons. This one apparently adds the Phoenix (not the city) to the mix.

>134 NorthernStar: I quite enjoyed Pyramids back in the day, but as you say - not as good as some of the others.

>134 NorthernStar:, >137 Busifer:
One of the best jokes in Pyramids is the way that P'Teppic is a riff on Hanse Shadowspawn from Thieves' World (particularly in his dress sense). But how many readers nowadays are familiar with Andrew J. Offutt's character?

Today is my 12 year Thingaversary! I've been acquiring books since September to meet my quota.

>138 -pilgrim-: I've never really had any thing to do with Thieves' World, so I never picked up on that. I love learning how things are connected, so thank you!

Ash Kickers didn't grab me at the beginning as much as the first in the series, but it picked up as it went on. I didn't like the main character as well either, she was a bit whiny and entitled at first, but again, things got better. It was a pretty quick read and some bits could have used more detail, explanation, and scene-setting. If you hadn't read the first book I think you would be missing a lot. It ended on a definite to-be-continued note, so I hope there will be a next book. I still really like the premise.

>139 NorthernStar: Happy Thingaversary!!!
You can't just buy books, you must consume cheese as well. :o)

>140 clamairy: I had pasta with pesto and lots of parmesan!

>139 NorthernStar: Happy Thingaversary!

Happy Thingaversary, and yay for pesto!

>139 NorthernStar: Happy Thingaversary!

>138 -pilgrim-: So is Andrew J. Offutt the inspiration for the Great Offler? I think that is the name of one of the gods in Discworld? There are so many clever bits in Discworld that fly right over my head because I'm not familiar with a lot of Englishisms and early fantasy works.

>139 NorthernStar: And another Happy Thingaversary!

>138 -pilgrim-: I for one had no idea, I've not had anything to do with Thieves' World. That, much like so many other things, just flew by over my head. I appreciate the cleverness, though :-)

>139 NorthernStar: Happy Thingaversary!

>138 -pilgrim-: >144 MrsLee: I wouldn't put anything past Sir Pterry, but I doubt it, if only because (IIRC) Offler was the Crocodile God. I don't know of any connection between Offutt and crocodiles. However, once again I wouldn't put it past Sir Pterry to have found a connection.

>138 -pilgrim-:, >144 MrsLee:, >147 haydninvienna: I cannot think of any connection between Andrew Offutt and crocodiles. Although I have not read his voluminous work outside Thieves' World - a situation that, as it happens, I am currently correcting with Deathknight.

>139 NorthernStar:, >146 Busifer: Hanse, a very competent professional thief, is a lanky teenager who dresses as swankily as he can, but always in black. He has an improbable number of knives about his person at all times. People do not laugh at any of this, because he is very, VERY good at throwing them. (Actually we learn that he really does not like killing, so a lot of this bravado is a deliberate attempt at intimidation so that he does not have to.)

And a belated Happy Thingaversary to you!

>139 NorthernStar: Belated HAPPY THINGAVERSARY!

As a self-declared enforcer you have demonstrated your commitment and forward planning by starting the book acquisition process early.

Happy belated Thingaversary! Sounds like you planned things very well!

Thanks for the happy Thingaversary wishes!

Finished another library book: The Summoning by Heather Graham. One of the Krewe of Hunters series, it features a haunted bed and breakfast, a few recent disappearances and suspicious deaths, a bit of mystery, and a bit of romance. Very appropriate for Halloween. I enjoy these books, but they tend to be similar and rather forgettable.

I just finished a reread of Prudence by Gail Carriger. Lots of fun! (warning, whine ahead) I was planning to continue with the next two books in the Custard Protocol series, but have hit a snag. I ordered the second and third books as part of my thingaversary purchases, using some points to get a nice discount. They both showed as being in stock, but while I have already received the third book, the second is now showing as "ships in one to two months"! How does that rate as "In Stock"? Our library doesn't have it either. :(

oops, accidentally double posted!

>152 NorthernStar: Ack. Can you cancel that order and order it from somewhere else?

>154 clamairy: - probably not worth it, another site lists it as "available in 1 -3 months" Must be reprinting or something.

Another library book finished, non-fiction this time. Humans: A brief history of how we f*cked it all up by Tom Phillips. Pretty light and amusing coverage of (sometimes) serious topics. Ranges over wars, diplomacy, technology, medicine, colonialism, and environmental disasters. Includes (sometimes speculatively) far historical events right up to some current issues. I enjoyed this.

Also finished a couple of re-reads and some digital and ER books, but I'll write about them later.

Snowing a bit today, and I'm hoping we don't get too much. I've got a work party organized for tomorrow to get the ski trails ready for winter, and it will be harder with more snow.

Oops, I've left this a bit long. I'll try to list the books I read in the interim, probably without too much comment, and not necessarily in the order I read them.

ebooks:

The Orc of Many Questions by Shane Murray - a book bullet from someone here, and free, so I decided to give it a try. I liked it but didn't love it. Will pick up the others in the series if I come across them.

Whistling Down the Wind by Irene Radford - ER book, mystery, I liked it, haven't reviewed it yet.

Her Revolution by Gemma Jackson - ER book, Irish, woman wakes up to the realization that she is in a long-term bad marriage and does something about it. Probably not too realistic, but I liked it, haven't reviewed it yet.

Heart of Malice by Lisa Edmonds - first in a urban fantasy/paranormal series, I enjoyed it, will look for more.

Frostbite by Joshua Bader - first in an urban fantasy series/paranormal series, I enjoyed it, will look for more.

Badlands Witch by Carrie Vaughn - urban fantasy novella in the world of Kitty Norville, featuring Cormac and Amelia. Loved this.

Terminal Alliance by Jim C. Hines - reread after I picked up a cheap ebook copy. Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse! Fun.

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells - Library ebook. More murderbot, more goodness.

Wild Country by Anne Bishop - Library ebook. Another visit to the world of the Others. Occurs during the same time as Etched in Bone, but in a different locale. I like this series, and enjoyed this, but not a lot new in this one.

Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs - Library ebook. Reread. I've been working through the Mercy Thompson audiobooks through the library, and noticed this was available. A favourite series.

Paper books:

Finally got my copy of Imprudence by Gail Carriger in the mail, so I read it and Competence which had arrived earlier.

The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood - coming of age with dragons, first in a planned series. I've had this for a while and finally got to it. I really liked it, but am not sure when or if the series will be continued.

Blood of the Earth by Faith Hunter - Library book. First in the Soulwood series, a spinoff from the Jane Yellowrock series. Felt like coming in to the middle of something, not at the start. Will see if I can find the rest of the series.

The Blacksmith Queen by G. A. Aiken - Library book. Interesting world and characters. Start of a series, but no others are out yet.

Audiobooks - I've still been working through the Mercy Thomson series by Patricia Briggs, borrowed through the library. They don't always come in the order you want to read them, and are missing a couple in the middle of the series, but I've read the books already, so that isn't too much of a problem. I'm about halfway through the ones they've got.

Well, I think that I'm caught up. I don't guarantee that I haven't missed anything, though.

Finished another library book - Wherever She Goes by K. L. (Kelley) Armstrong. This is a thriller, no magic or paranormal elements at all. Lots of twists and a few red herrings. Reminds me more of her Nadia Stafford books than any others of hers I've read. I really liked this one.

Finished A Murder of Mages by Marshall Ryan Maresca from the library. First of the Maradine Constabulary books. I gather there is another series set in the same world. I enjoyed the characters and the mystery, but lots of loose ends were left hanging for the sequels. I am continuing on with the next in the series.

For those who don't know me on facebook or instagram, I had something cool happen yesterday. I had heard about a sick great horned owl rescued and sent out of town for rehab several weeks ago. Tuesday a friend was telling me that he is friends with the person involved and that the owl was due to come back and be released this week. Of course I said, "Can I come?" So yesterday I met him after he was done work and we met up with several others for the release. The owl had been sent back to town by air in a big pet cage. We took it a ways off the road into an open swampy area (frozen at this time of year) near where it was found and released it. It didn't want to come out of the cage at first, but when it did it flew quickly up into some nearby trees. It watched us for a few minutes, then flew further into the trees. I missed the flight, but got some decent pictures before and after. Some of the others also got some pictures and video of the flight. Also, I now have a few more contacts with local wildlife photographers.

>158 NorthernStar: I’ve read three in that series and that was the best of the lot by far.

You really nailed that second photo! Awesome!

>158 NorthernStar: That's amazing! Beautiful bird too.

What an amazing experience. I wrangle and transport animals for our local rehabber, but I've never been to a release. Very cool.

Lovely, what a beautiful creature.

Such a wonderful experience! Thanks for sharing it with us. It's great to see a wild creature back in its environment.

Beautiful indeed.

>156 NorthernStar: Sorry to hear that Orc of Many Questions was just okay. Oh well. But YAY, more Murderbot!

>158 NorthernStar: Love that owl's expression in the first photo. So perturbed!

>156 NorthernStar: I also thought The Orc of Many Questions was just okay. Won't being pursuing it.

Finished the second Maradine Constabulary book, An Import of Intrigue by Marshall Ryan Maresca. Again, I enjoyed the characters and the mystery, but felt there was some repetition, unexplained backstory, and loose ends. I did find the third in the library, so will read it before too long.

I was able to borrow an ebook copy of Exit Strategy by Martha Wells. More Murderbot - very good.

I've also been listening to some more Patricia Briggs audiobooks and had a few quick rereads, but I haven't been reading as much as usual.

I have a big stack from the library to get through, some interlibrary loans for some interesting-sounding books, mostly ones I've seen posted about in the Green Dragon, so I need to get at it.

Another couple of library books finished:

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow. Really enjoyed this one. I'm sure someone here recommended it, but can't remember who.

Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone. A recommendation from somewhere (maybe Ilona Andrews). A thriller about revenge. Jane claims to be a sociopath, but when her one good friend is driven to suicide by a horrible boyfriend she decides to get even. I was cheering for Jane, I think the boyfriend was a much worse person.

Finishing off the year with some more Patricia Briggs. I've been going through the audiobooks of the Mercy Thompson series, but they are missing 8 & 9 - Night Broken and Fire Touched so I am rereading some ebook copies of them before I continue with the audiobooks.

This is the first time I have managed to keep my thread going all year, and I actually have enough posts to continue it! So I will. See you all in 2020 in the new thread!