Threadnsong Reads Many Things in 2026

Well, here we are! Another year for reading and here are my categories for 2026.

My book tastes are many and varied: historical fiction, cozy mystery, classics, and well-written fantasy and science fiction. I enjoy reading reviews on LibraryThing and use the "Wishlist" option perhaps more frequently than I ought. When I'm not reading, I'm learning a new Irish tune on my hammered dulcimer, or perfecting a tune set, or perhaps heading off to the Symphony after work. My other hobbies are needle crafts and knitting, some coloring in those cool new coloring books making the rounds of bookstores, and finding calm with yoga and walking. I (still) work, in the field of Human Resources, so I work hard to separate work-self from home-self.

I read 56 books in 2025 (most ever), in possible part because I gave myself permission to enjoy the cozy mystery genre. Still, a reasonable goal is 45 and I'll be happy with that amount of books. Since the categories I use continue to work well I'll list them here. Something about wheels and inventions, don't ya know!

Here are the categories and explanations for how I use them:

Category 1 - Quick Reads (reading a book that will take the current month to complete)
Category 2 - Longer Reads (anything from a door stopper to a biography to a book I wish to savor)
Category 3 - Group Reads (joining in with various group readings from this group as library availability or local bookstores allow)
Category 4 - Tolkien's History of Middle Earth series - currently on Vol. IV: The Shaping of Middle Earth
Category 5 - Classics

Reading goal: 45 books
Read-to-date: 3 books

Happy Reading! 📖

January Reading Log

Category 1 - Quick Reads I am a Cat by Natsume Sōseki, An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear, Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov
Category 2 - Longer Reads Helen and Teacher by Joseph P. Lash, Going Clear by Lawrence Wright
Category 3 - Group Reads
Category 4 - Tolkien's History of Middle Earth series - currently on Vol. IV: The Shaping of Middle Earth
Category 5 - Classics Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

January Current Count = 3
Year to Date Count =3

>2 genesisdiem: Thank you Genesis Diem!

January Category 4 - Tolkien's History of Middle Earth series, The Shaping of Middle Earth

I have finished Chapter II which encompasses Tolkien's rough draft sketches of what later became The Silmarillion. It encompasses the stories of Beren and Luthien, Húrin and his children (whether or not Nienor was born when Húrin went off to war, as an example), and the story of the Fall of Gondolin. Several of the differences of what he sketched out briefly and what later became published are the betrayal of Gondolin by Maglor (whether he gave a layout of the entire domain or just the main exit); more details about Túrin choosing to forsake his beloved Finduilas and sealing his doom; and the mention of Elrond as being the sole heir of Eärendil and Elwing, instead of having a sibling, Elros, who later becomes the first King of the Numenoreans.

What was also interesting, from a "how did this story come about" perspective, are the ways in which the Silmarils were retrieved (or not) from land, sea, and sky, and the Valar's war upon Beleriand to finally wrest it from the control of Morgoth.

Christopher Tolkien divided the sketches into sections, quite wisely, which allowed him to add footnotes as one reads each section, as well as larger commentaries pulling together the earliest writings of his father's as well as the writings that are more extant and fully realized in the Vols. II and III of this series.

1) January Category 1 - I am a Cat by Natsume Sōseki
3 1/2 ***

I found much to enjoy in this satire of human foibles, especially from a cat's perspective: the inanities of daily life, the main human trying to be other than he is, and how a cat prowls around and shows his curiosity.

What I did not enjoy so much was the disregard Meitei and the master have for one another, and for the master's former pupil, Kangetsu-kun, as he tries to get ahead in the world. Perhaps it is the time of writing this review that makes me especially sensitive to how people are unkind to one another.

One reason this book received an extra half-star was the work of the translator to describe the difficulties he had to convey humor. He was also very exact with explaining certain traits of the Japanese language to non-Japanese speakers.

2) January Category 1 - An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear
5 *****

Now this was a great installment of this series. I liked how Ms. Winspear has helped Maisie grow within her relationships, instead of keeping to the tired old tropes of on-again, off-again. Maisie is not looking back to her previous paramour, she is only looking to her true love, Simon. And wow is that a zinger.

But to the mystery: the time of the harvest of hops has come to Kent, and many Londoners move to the various farms to help with the harvest. This connection to a part of England's past was fascinating, and each family of pickers has their own preferred farm. Billy, Maisie's assistant, is no exception.

Along with the Londoners and the locals in the town are the gypsies or Rom, living in their own little campsite on the hill, and keeping themselves to themselves. Or almost - they create bouquets of Michaelmas daisies from a field where a zeppelin bombed the town during the Great War.

As is the case with a good series, we find out more about Maisie Dobbs' family in this book: her mother was from the Rom herself and what's more, was part of the waterborn Rom who traveled England's waterways. Maisie remembers some of the terms her mother taught her and the recollections of her grandmother loving on her when she was very young.

This connection helps Maisie with her investigation among the hop harvesters on an estate that is even more at odds with its tenants than one would expect. The younger brother is the only surviving heir to the estate and he is not fit for the role. We come to find out how unfit as the mystery, and the tragedy, unfolds.

3) January Category 1 - Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov
4 ****

Strangely, I am enamored of this book. I chose it at the tender age of 17 as a replacement series for the Dragonriders series that I received for my birthday that I had already read. And I've brought it with me ever since, meaning to read it "some day." I chose now as that day, and I think that was a wise choice.

It is written in a very stilted manner, each chapter talking about a different series of intergalactic events around the doomed Foundation, with a nominal story thread between them. Once I got used to that style, that pared-down storyline, I was hooked. Asimov describes in a few words what less talented authors would take pages of conversation to get across.

Is there a plot? Well, yes, there is. It's the tale of a galaxy of linked worlds ruled by a corrupt Lord of the Universe, an even more corrupt head servant, and a power hungry general who has no qualms about conquering other planets. Along with these characters is the spirit of Hari Seldon and his psycho-history, a newly married couple, Bayta and Toran, whose journeys become the narration for much of the action, and the downtrodden Magnifico. This being is the most mis-shapen of all the humanoids, bereft of friendship except for Bayta, and is part of the enigma about Cleon II's court.

Then there is the Mule, a human who manages to evade capture despite all the efforts of the Foundation to find him. He is able to weave together an Empire (hence the name of this volume) in ways that even Hari Seldon is unable to predict. And the mystery of the Mule takes up the latter part of this volume, turning every part of the action from the first part on its head.

While the dry, terse style and flitting from one set of actions to another is not for everyone, it does weave a good story that is worth reading for enthusiasts of space, politics, and human motivations.

>1 threadnsong: Great job reading 56 books last year! And good luck with your reading this year.

Seeing that you've just finished Foundation and Empire reminds me I need to go back and read the trilogy again and then everything else.

>9 LisaMorr: Thank you! I hope you enjoy them on your re-reading.

February Reading Log

Category 1 - Quick Reads The Companions by Sheri S. Tepper, The Price of Glory by Alistair Horne
Category 2 - Longer Reads Helen and Teacher by Joseph P. Lash, Going Clear by Lawrence Wright
Category 3 - Group Reads
Category 4 - Tolkien's History of Middle Earth series - currently on Vol. IV: The Shaping of Middle Earth
Category 5 - Classics Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

February Current Count = 2
Year to Date Count =5

I am always so drawn to books that teach me things, and so often they are books that just go on and on. And on. And the good part is, I am learning such a great deal from them, like the machinations of cults (in this case, Scientology), and early 20th century history from the POV of Helen Keller.

Right now, I'm grabbing another book off my shelves, also a bit of a door-stopper, by one of my favorite authors Sheri S. Tepper. She began writing science fiction in her 40's, so there is an understanding of humans that really draws me into her world. This one, though, starts with dark and dystopian themes that were hard to read through. And the month has just begun, so more books are sure to be on the horizon.

Ed.: I couldn't resist it - for a couple of challenges (and maybe to commemorate the month of February?) I started re-reading "The Price of Glory" by Alistair Horne. It describes the Battle of Verdun, begun on 21 Feb. 1916, in grim and gritty detail, though the chapters are short so the reading is relatively quick. I visited one of the graveyards in 1990 and have always wanted to go back for a longer visit.

4) February Category 1 - Companions by Sheri S. Tepper
5***** ❤️

When I first started this book, I did not expect to give it 5 stars, except maybe for Sherri S. Tepper's amazing use of language. The picture it paints of a future Earth is dark, overcrowded, and with buildings taking over the world. Think scenes out of the Star Wars saga that feature buildings reaching to the sky and you have a general idea of what Jewel's world is like.

But there's more. The only places with greenspace and animals are rich, landed families and their estates. And the consolidated Earth governmental powers, the PPI and the ESC (I cannot keep them straight, and maybe that's the point) are looking to eliminate all non-human life. In fact, there is a radical political persona whose influence over the "down dwellers" is such that all companion animals are to join their extinct wild kin.

But Jewel is part of the arkists, those humans with a heart who seek to get all animals to safety onto terraformed worlds. And as Jewel becomes an adult, her ingenuity in navigating her obnoxious linguist brother becomes a help in aiding this endeavor. She was taught by her father how to travel through and around the buildings that occupy all land on the US by using chutes meant for packages and trash, not for human travel. And her mother's lasting legacy is a multi-media musical and pictoral work that shows her exploration of a cavern on Mars that contains frescoes of humans and dogs. On Mars.

Planetary travel is normal, colonization is normal, and the chapters are told by Jewel or by several of the other beings that use intergalactic travel: the Orskini and the Derac. They are devious and seek to gain the supremacy that the despised Zhana once held in the galaxy. Jewel's work takes her to the planet Moss with its new look at both flora and language, and she is joined by some of the dogs that are heading to the terraformed moon on this planetary system.

Stick with this book. It is long, Tepper's use of language is masterful, and while the dystopian view of a future Earth can be spirit-numbing, the ways in which Jewel and her compatriots work comes together with goodness and a dog's wet nose.

5) February Category 1 - The Price of Glory by Alistair Horne
5*****

Yowza. It is a doozy. Reading this book takes a lot of courage? insight? foolhardiness? and it's best to read it in a few weeks rather than pick up and put down. But gosh how rewarding it is to read it again.

It was originally assigned in my freshman year of college and I only made it through the seizure of Fort Douaumont before I stopped. Could not handle the deaths and the description of the devastated landscapes, and those only got worse as the war progressed.

Re-read it in 1990-91 and just mourned the horrendous loss of life that happened day after day during this longest battle of World War I. I had also visited one of the smaller soldiers' graveyards in Verdun as a result of this book and that certainly changed me.

This book was written with great insight into the thinking on both sides, German and French, and how the generals' flawed way of viewing warfare as a way to settle scores or to reclaim their nation's past glory was what led to a this ten-month long battle.

For the Germans, General Falkenhayn's indecisiveness lost several chances for successful German victory during key advances. The idea of l'Attaque à l'outrance of Colonel de Grandmaison was the drumbeat the French side: to attack without a care for the munitions on the other side, let alone one's own life, as a way to purge the shame the French retreat in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War.

Alistair Horne wrote this detailed book in 1962 and added to it in the early 1990's after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The details he brings to his research span from the French HQ at Chantilly and the disconnect of the generals from the trenches, to the letters home from soldiers detailing the harsh conditions under which they lived during the 10 months of fighting.

There were times I would take a moment from reading and think about 40 shells falling in that minute or two of respite, such as happened on 21st February on the first day of fighting. Then there were the runners who could maybe advance 300 yards before enemy shells killed them or they found shelter in a shell hole full of water and corpses. Descriptions of the aftermath included finding remains of 3 people in the undergrowth, even as late as the 50's and 60's: a wounded soldier and his two stretcher bearers killed by a shell. Horne does not hold back from describing the realities of war, nor should he.

The maps were key to understanding what and where, and I can only wish there were more authors and publishers who would add them to their works.

What we can learn from The Great War is vast. This book is one of the pillars of that study.

>12 threadnsong: I've read a couple by Tepper and really enjoyed them, so I will definitely be looking for this one!

>14 LisaMorr: Great! It is a bit of a tough read (more so than, say, Grass), and I'll be interested in your review of it.

March Reading Log

Category 1 - Quick Reads The Healer's War by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, Into the Green by Charles de Lint, One Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith, Watership Down - The Graphic Novel by Richard Adams
Category 2 - Longer Reads Helen and Teacher by Joseph P. Lash, Going Clear by Lawrence Wright
Category 3 - Group Reads The Seventh Plague by James Rollins
Category 4 - Tolkien's History of Middle Earth series - currently on Vol. IV: The Shaping of Middle Earth
Category 5 - Classics Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

March Current Count = 5
Year to Date Count =10

6) March Category 3 - The Seventh Plague by James Rollins

4****

A fast-paced and intriguing drama that combined archeology, research into the possible reality of the Biblical plagues, and of course lots of action from the Sigma Force group.

This book starts in a long ago time, when a priestess is preparing for her mummification inside of a giant, human-made tomb. Only this tomb is not like one would expect: it is a sandstone replica of a human body, complete with organs and ribs buried under the sands in the Egyptian Sahara.

Meanwhile, Dr. Harold McCabe comes stumbling out of the desert near the confluence of the White and Blue Niles in a partially mummified state himself. When he is autopsied, his body releases a plague that infects the scientists performing his autopsy. And the doctor leading the medical team is known to Painter Crowe of Sigma Force and needs his help.

Part of the plot involves the journeys of Livingstone and Stanley, the friendship between Stanley and Mark Twain, and the friendship between Twain and Nikolai Tesla. To bring matters to the modern era, Tesla's exploration into engineering and self-generating power are given new life above the Arctic Circle.

What thrilled me beyond measure was Rollins' mention of one of my favorite books, "The Terror" by Dan Simmons in his Epilogue. Because yes, part of the action takes place near the famed Northwest Passage, as well as in a seldom-explored National Park on the border between Rwanda and Tanzania.

The madness of the evil scientist seems quite timely, and the desire of former child soldiers to forget their past is also a part of this story. I was glad that Gray and the members of Six Sigma, as well as the son and daughter of Dr. McCabe, acted in quite human ways and the action was more believable.

7) March Category 1 - The Healer's War by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough (Vietnam)

4****

I'm giving this book a solid 4 stars. It is strongly geared towards survivors of the Vietnam War, both those who fought in it and, in my case, those who grew up seeing images of the soldiers and war dead. Which is why it has been on my shelves for so long: this war is one I have never been able to read or study. The images I saw as a child were traumatic.

And the author seems to have written this book as a way to purge her own memories and tell the tales of the patients she served. The first part details her work on the wards of a nurse during the Vietnam War, not knowing what would happen ultimately, but being in the thick of things after the My Lai massacre. Her patients are both American GI's and Vietnamese wounded.

I applaud Scarborough for giving the stories of her Vietnamese war wounded. And my heart aches for what they went through, both as patients and after a less generous commander comes on board. Scarborough writes with great feeling about the heat, the casual sexism, her thoughts about life stateside and what brought her to the battlefield, and life on base. We get a glimpse into what life as a war nurse was all about.

Kitty, her narrator, falls for a helicopter pilot and their time together has its coming together and breaking apart. But finally, when the new commander of the hospital comes on board, he orders all of the Vietnamese wounded to go to the less sanitary and less safe Vietnamese hospitals, and what happens is what one would expect. My heart broke.

Yet she seeks assistance with her helicopter pilot to bring one young boy, who has been a less than model patient, to another base where he might be able to heal from his partial leg amputation. As she plans this, a healer among her Vietnamese patients gives her his amulet and she finds that her senses are sharpened and her gifts as a healer amplified.

The second half of the book involves Kitty, her young patient Ahn, and an American GI, William, whose aura she sees with its various colors, as they travel through the jungles looking for Ahn's village. Or any village where he might be able to grow to adulthood and they, as the Americans, would be relatively safe.

It's dark, it's painful to read, and it's not until now that I've been able to get more than a few pages in because of the subject matter. This book is about the scars that war leaves on those who fight it in their own country and in another's.

8) March Category 1 - Into the Green by Charles de Lint

5*****

Oh, did I need this book right now. It is pensive and thoughtful and kind and while there is plenty of evil, there is also a stronger good.

The book begins with a visit to young Angharad's tinker home, a visit that leaves her vaguely uncomfortable. It seems that the stranger has seen into her soul where she keeps her connection to her gift at bay. In this land that de Lint brings to life, some folk have a touch of the Green, allowing them to stay connected with Nature and feel more deeply its many paths. And also in this world are those who mistrust this gift, either in themselves or in others, and those ramifications.

Early in Angharad's life her extended tinker's family is wiped out by plague, taking with them her love, Darrow, and leaving her devastated. She tends their graves until a visit confronts her that she is among the living, still, and needs to continue with her life.

This book is truly a piece of fantasy and wonder, of self-discovery and seeing beyond what is a mundane life. De Lint keeps his descriptions brief, which helps move the story along, and Angharad's struggles and eventual triumphs at several spots along the way show her growth.

9) March Category 1 - One Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith

5 ***** ❤️

I read this so many times as a child after buying it because of the Disney movie. I mean, animals! Puppies! Adventure! England! What's not to love?! What I remember are the 15 puppies, the two parents traveling through England to find them, and an elderly Cocker Spaniel feeding them toasted bread behind a fire screen from his elderly master. And the conveying of news through the Twilight Bark.

And I read this as a challenge, half dreading the thought of re-reading it because not every child's book translates well into adulthood. But lo and behold, this one did! There were even parts that I had not really understood in my 7 year old self: calling on the Splendid Vet at midnight, how Mr. Dearly earned his living, how Pongo and Missis made their travels (the Golden Retriever was particularly well-written). The honeymoons that both couples go on, and how Perdita tried to marry her beloved, Prince.

Including elements like these are what have helped this book stand up from childhood through adolescence and into adulthood. I finally understood how Cruella De'Vil's need for constant warmth was indicative of her, um, origins. The change in travel plans that Pongo and Missis make during their journey lend a bit more credence to it, and the so very kind Great Dane who helps start their Twilight Bark messages was just a delight. All in all, a remembered favorite that remains a current favorite.

March Category 4 - The Shaping of Middle Earth "The Quenta." Sections 1-5

This section deals with the Creation Myth of Tolkien's Middle-Earth, naming the deities in greater detail than he had in previous writings: Manwë, Varda, Lórien, Yavanna, Aulë, Oromë to name a few. The sections I read end with the coming of the Noldoli (still named Gnomes) to the Crushing Ice after Morgoth seizes the Silmarils.

Unlike his earliest writings, "The Cottage of Lost Play," there is no journey by a wanderer to an island in the West to hear a creation story; instead, the creation of the world and an abode of the gods becomes a coherent tale. We also see a fleshing out of the tale of the Lamps of Valinor followed by Silpion and Laurelin, Two Trees of Valinor with Tolkien working out when each tree shone forth its light (every six hours vs. every seven hours).

Events proceed as they later came to be published in "The Silmarillion" with increasing detail. The Firstborn (Elves) come to be, though one group is considered Elves and others are considered Gnomes depending on where the live in relation to Valinor. The construct of the world becomes more recognizable, including the "window" on the Isle of Tol Eressëa that looks towards Valinor. And no more are we reading of Ulmo, Lord of the Waters, using whales to bring the Eldar on an island to Valinor. He uses swans. But we also see the construct of Thingol as a lord of the Dark or Grey Elves, those who never saw the light of the Two Trees, and Melian, who is here called a fay.

Fëanor is still the eldest son of Finn (later Finwë), is shaped to be proud (arrogant) and talented, and his brothers Fingolfin and Finrod who follow him are outlined in a way that shows Tolkien's world taking coherent shape. And Ingwë is the lord of the Quendi, while Finwë is the lord of the Noldoli (Noldor), so these trials and emendations have been worked out between the earliest sketches/notes and this Quenya.

10) March Category 1 - Watership Down by Richard Adams (the Graphic Novel)

5***** ❤️

A truly great retelling of this classic story about rabbits. And their journey to find a safe place to call "warren." I am not a fan of graphic novels so enjoying this version as much as I did was a pleasant surprise. And from the back cover, "this spectacular graphic novel will delight old fans and inspire new ones, bringing the joy of "Watership Down" to the next generation of readers."

The illustrations are evocative of the English countryside, with great detail given to individualize the rabbits themselves. There are several nods to the animated movie in the depictions of the rabbits and what distinguishes one from the other. What makes this novel work well are the expressions of the rabbits: narrowed eyes, the suggestion of movement, and a few scars on Bigwig and Captain Holly.

With a graphic novel, of course, one has static pictures, not moving pictures. So as a reader, I saw Blackavar's torn ears, the blocked runs of the Sandleford Warren when it is destroyed, but also a view of trees or the River Enborne that I could look at for as long as I wanted.

The artists and adapters are candid about which characters they meld into one another, and for the sake of storytelling in this format it makes sense. So while I was a bit hesitant because of the format of a graphic novel, I am so very glad I took the chance and added it to my collection. And it was a good pick up and put down book, again, due to its format.

April Reading Log

Category 1 - Quick Reads When Maidens Mourn by C. S. Harris, The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years, by Shubnum Khan, Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
Category 2 - Longer Reads Helen and Teacher by Joseph P. Lash, Going Clear by Lawrence Wright, The Unruly Queen by Flora Fraser
Category 3 - Group Reads When Falcons Fall by C. S. Harris
Category 4 - Tolkien's History of Middle Earth series - currently on Vol. IV: The Shaping of Middle Earth
Category 5 - Classics Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

April Current Count =4
Year to Date Count =14

I finally, finally finished "Going Clear" by Lawrence Wright and will provide a review later. It was not an easy read (in fact, I started it once and then had to put it down) but it is timely: how controlling of a man L. Ron Hubbard was, and how Scientology became the behemoth that it is.

I've also started reading "The Unruly Queen" by the daughter of Antonia Fraser who has inherited (and is using) her mother's gifts. The reason I am reading this book, or even am interested in the Regency period to this extent, is due to the Sebastian St Cyr series by C. S. Harris. She has an ability to bring this period to life in all its grandeur, majesty, and appalling living conditions.

Other books and bits will find their way here, while I enjoy some gardening and evenings pondering my shelves.

11) April Category 2 - Going Clear by Lawrence Wright
5*****

This was a fascinating book told from several different biographies and encompassing several different historical threads. Surprisingly, it does not start with L. Ron Hubbard's life, but rather that of one of his followers, Paul Haggis. Paul is drawn to Scientology in the midst of upheavals in his life and officially joins is in 1975. This works effectively, in that we are able to see what steps its members are asked to take by the Church and its leadership.

And through these steps, we are introduced to the belief system that L. Ron Hubbard created as well as his life history. I've certainly seen his books on bookstore shelves, TV ads for "Dianetics" as the supreme answer on everything troubling one, and Hubbard is still credited as one of the most prolific authors. Ever. He would chain smoke and type out novels on a computer hooked to an old style printer as a way to make his ideas flow into print.

And the same mania that drove Hubbard is also what created this cult-religion-drive for ultimate authority. Wright goes into detail about a portion called Sea Org when Hubbard bought several boats that were at sea for years, minus the times for landing for re-supply. How they were staffed at the beginning by young women (teenagers and early 20's) who were instructed to let Hubbard sleep until noon by making no noise, and then attending to his every need for food, listening, and instructing them on his vision for OT levels.

What I also learned from this book is how detailed the search in Scientology for a person's "levels" are, what he terms "Operating Thetan" or OT. This seems to be the basis of Scientology's religious persuasion. A reader with a strange electronic device asks the supplicant (or applicant) a series of questions to make this determination so that the supplicant can advance in the group.

And the levels of deception and abuse within this book are detailed, as are the denials that the Church has put out for each of them. Wright is clear about those as footnotes. There are members who, for whatever infraction, are sent to scrub toilets with toothbrushes for 15 hours per day, then locked back up into their group sleeping space and paid a few dollars per week. After all, they signed their (million year) contract, so why would they not live modestly?

Another aspect that is given unexpected detail is the entertainment connection, especially with the earliest days of John Travolta, Kristie Alley, Chip Corea, and of course Tom Cruise and, briefly, Nicole Kidman. It turns out, Paul Haggis was a writer on many 80's and 90's sitcoms, and he is honest when Wright interviews him about what he saw, how he used Scientology's backing to get ahead, and how he finally, finally got out. Not everyone did, or made it out unscathed.

>24 threadnsong: I'm looking forward to your review!

>25 LisaMorr: And there you go!

April Category 4 - The Shaping of Middle Earth "The Quenta" Sections 6-10

These sections deal with the deaths of the Two Trees of Valinor, Silpion and Laurelin, without a lot of earlier detail about the lad and the maiden who flew them. Initially, one celestial body followed another directly, but the Valar decided this did not bode well for the land and put them onto their current courses.

The land of Valinor is shut off from the rest of Beleriand and the Valar turn their backs on the Noldori. The wars of the Noldori against the Orcs have begun, Fëanor dies before the Sun first rises, and the delineation and realms of Beleriand are laid out in the form they finally took. More detail is given to Doriath (realm of Thingol and Melian )and Nargothrond (realm of Felagund), and there are slight differences in names (Gnomes instead of Elves for all the kindred, for example). Also the friendship between the House of Barahir and that of Felagund is established, which leads directly into the story of Luthien and Beren.

12) April Category 1 - When Maidens Mourn by C. S. Harris
5 *****

In this enjoyable installment of the Sebastian St Cyr series, we are transported to the overlapping worlds of Regency England and the life of Alfred, Lord Tennyson. This young child and his older brother (whom Harris points out in her Afterward had died in infancy) are at the center of a search throughout the book. They have gone missing when Gabrielle Tennyson (fictional), their cousin and a close friend of Hero, is found floating in the moat of the site of Camelot. It had been renamed in the 1700's to Camlet Moat, in modern Trent Park, and yes, that is now a location on my bucket list!

But back to the story. Hero is learning what life with Sebastian is like and adjusting to marriage. We don't hear her thoughts on the matter, but we watch Sebastian hope to make a bond with her before their child is born, and being rebuffed. Rather than sinking into a pool of guilt or anger, Sebatian takes on the task of finding these two young missing brothers and solving the murder of Hero's good friend.

Part of his research takes him to the French officers who are prisoners in London, living in not quite squalid conditions, but who have made a gentleman's agreement to stay within a certain space. It appears that one officer, Arceneaux, was enamored of Gabrielle and she discussed her research into Camlet Moat with him extensively. Gabrielle was of the opinion that it was the site of Arthur's court of Camelot, more so than Glastonbury Abbey, and she even gained access to the British Museum's Reading Room to conduct her research.

Adventures ensue, discoveries happen, and Sebastian gains more respect for Hero's mind and research into the life women live during this time in history.

13) April Category 3 - When Falcons Fall by C. S. Harris

4 1/2 ****

Taking place in the countryside of England, the regions of Shropshire and Worcestershire and the River Teme, Sebastian and Hero and young Simon have journeyed to this borderland near Wales to try to find more information about Sebastian's origins and the mysterious necklace she had that Hero now wears. And while they are getting their rooms ready in the Inn, a young woman named Emma Chance is found dead by the river.

Young Archie, who has just inherited his title of Squire, has heard of Sebastian's ability to solve murders and when Emma's body is brought to the Inn (where the inquest will take place, a real thing), her suicide looks less like she took her own life and more like foul play. But who would want to murder this young widow with her talent at drawing?

We are introduced to some upper class characters and families in this region who have all benefited from the Enclosures Act. I did not know this was a Thing until I read this book, but it seems that the hamlets in and around the River Teme are gone because they were worth more to the landowners than the farmers who had tended the land for generations. At least now I know why London had so many poor and desperate beggars on its streets during this time.

And Emma Chance's story becomes meshed with that of the landed gentry as well as the smarmy Rector and Sebastian's possible half-brother, Jamie. The gilded nightingale that Jamie wanted to give to his grandmother before his death is what Sebastian brings to his grandmother's house. And he meets Jamie's twin sister, Jenny, full of bitterness at the role that the Enclosures had on her life and her family.

Also making an appearance is Napoléon's brother, Lucien, who was a historical personage in Worchestershire and Shropshire at this time. His reasons for being at this locale throw the investigation into even more uncertain territory. Was Emma a friend of Lucien's? Why did Emma sketch so many faces when she told everyone she was sketching the countryside? And why are there no landscape sketches in her book?

I am glad to see that Hero and Sebastian have grown in love towards one another. And mutual respect. I also did like this book and taking a break from London's streets; what took away half a star was the lack of correspondence between the title and the events of the book.

>26 threadnsong: Thanks - sounds interesting and I appreciate your review - 5 stars, I'll have to read it!

14) April Category 1 - Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier - Transylvania
5*****

Oh, the genius of wrapping Transylvanian history and folklore around a well-loved fairytale! In this story, it is the re-telling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses (here re-visioned as 5 sisters) in one of the wealthy households in a region of Transylvania. And there's also a bit of the Princess and the Frog!

The next eldest daughter, Jena, is the narrator of this story. The other sisters are Paula, who loves her lessons with the village priest; sister Iulia whose figure is approaching that of a well-formed woman; and little Stela who is only 5 and loves playing with the smallest members of the Otherworld. The eldest is Tatiana, or Tati, whose choices play a central role in this book.

The story starts when the five sisters are left alone one winter when their father must go off to warmer climates to regain his health with his faithful servant. And for many years these five sisters have kept a secret even from the household servants: they can open the door to the Otherworld at every Full Moon where they go dancing all night at the court of Ileana, Queen of the Otherworld.

This time, as the book opens, Tatiana, the eldest sister, has become infatuated with a guest of the Night People. His name is Sorrow. The Night People were invited (?!) by the Otherworld to take part in the moonlight revels, despite being aloof and having possible ill designs on Ileana's realm.

Weave into this tale Jena's work with her father's business accounts before he goes off for healing, a neighboring estate with her father's closest friend, and the death of that estate's eldest son, Costi. And there is also Jena's strange friendship with the frog, Goku, who is Jena's best friend.

Jenna recounts the events leading up to Costi's drowning with the Crone of the story who asks Costi, Jenna, and Cesar, Costi's younger brother, what their deepest wishes are. Jenna and Cezar survive the expedition on the water, yet as Cezar grows older he becomes more and more a belligerent and controlling young man. Cezar is sure of himself and his place in the world but also more abusive and denigrating of Jenna's role in her household even though he seeks to marry her; one wonders if he loves her or wants to control her.

I will say that I read ahead to try to find out what was going on with Cezar before going back to the story. His misogyny was alarming and I knew it had to have a resolution; I just didn't know what that resolution was going to be. And while it was not a happily ever after story, it was good and realistic and I loved how all the threads were woven together.

15) The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan
5*****

I debated whether 4 1/2 stars or 5 stars, and decided that 5 stars was a worthwhile listing. And there is the element of the haunted house that are not my normal preferred reading material, though the supernatural element is.

This story starts with young Sana, a young girl who moves into Akbar Manzil on an island off the coast of South Africa with her grieving father. He misses his wife and Sana's mother, though he brings himself into the residents of this dilapidated old house with fresh vigor.

In several chapter we learn Sana's story as she fits into this house; in other chapters, we learn of the house through the eyes of the djinn. And also through the life of Meena, impoverished worker in the factory of Akbar, a dreamer who has built his mansion and fallen in love with Meena.

One of the problems is the role of the caste system in East Indian society (all of the characters are originally from the Indian continent) and how their caste and their wealth influence their decisions. Another is the role of a second wife in Akbar's family, which is Meena's role. And how Akbar has fallen in love with Meena in a way that leaves his first wife resentful and vengeful, and her mother is happy to push her along.

And even though we only know of the djinn through his thoughts, rather than through anyone encountering him, we learn of his grief and his hiding when Sana encounters his "clutter" in the east wing of Akbar Manzil. For this great house has been subdivided in the worst possible way into apartments that do nothing to hold onto the beauty and grandeur that its creator once envisioned for his legacy.

Part djinn story, part love story, and a large part tragedy that grows as the story grows, there is no happily ever after. But there is resolution, and sometimes that's all we can find. It's not "enough" but it is a resolution.

May Reading Log

Category 1 - Quick Reads Tam Lin by Pamela Dean, Thomas the Rhymer by Ellen Kushner, Winter Rose by Patricia A. McKillip, Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner, Song of the Sending by Corinne O'Flynn
Category 2 - Longer Reads Helen and Teacher by Joseph P. Lash, The Unruly Queen by Flora Fraser
Category 3 -
Category 4 - Tolkien's History of Middle Earth series - currently on Vol. IV: The Shaping of Middle Earth
Category 5 - Classics Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

May Current Count =
Year to Date Count =15

On a Sunday morning conversation with DH, we began discussing Tam Lin and its various versions. Which of course brought down the versions from my shelves, and I started reading both the Pamela Dean version this afternoon as well as finding the similarities with Tam Lin and Thomas the Rhymer. Which brought out other books by Ellen Kushner, and voila! My May reading is already stacked.