Ivy's 101010

June 1: Because this thread is getting so long, I have started a Part 2:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/92187#2001961

As of June 1, I have read 49 books, with their unequal distribution as follows:

1. Contemporary Fiction (7/10)
2. Series Continuation (6/10)
3. New Series (5/10)
4. Literary Giants (2/10)
~~ 4A. Shakespeare (0)
5. USA (2/10)
~~ 5A. New Harmony (0)
~~ 5B. Native American (0)
6. History (7/10)
~~ 6A. World (4)
~~ 6B. British Isles (3)
7. Myth, Legend, and Fairy Tales (6/10)
8. Fantasy (10/10) -- completed April
9. Lucy Maud Montgomery (0/10)
10. Children / YA (4/10)
~~ 10A. Women Authors (0)

Jan 1: I've redone my categories for the new year, and added subcategories. My plan is that for the half-challenge I will need 5 books in each of 10 categories or sub-categories; for the full challenge (which I'm hoping to do), I will need 10 books in each category (including those read in the sub-categories).

Except for the categories which by their nature exclude non-fiction, the categories include fiction and non-fiction, and all categories can include children's or YA books.

Group Reads:

The Histories by Herodotus -- Jan (Book 6 read in June)
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde -- Jan (read January)
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery -- Jan (read December 2009)
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas -- Feb/March (read March)
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen -- March (read March)
The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny -- April (read April)
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger -- May (read January)
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown -- June

1. Contemporary Fiction

1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (January, 4 1/2*)
2. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger (January, 3 1/2*)
3. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford (January, 4*)
4. The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran (February, 4*)
5. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (March, 4*)
6. Old City Hall by Robert Rotenberg (May, 3*)
7. Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn (May, 4*)
8.
9.
10.

2. Series Continuation

1. Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke (Hannah Swensen #11) (January, 3 1/2*)
2. Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke (Hannah Swensen #12) (January, 3 1/2*)
3. Apple Turnover Murder by Joanne Fluke (Hannah Swensen #13) (February, 3*)
4. A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny (Inspector Gamache #4) (April, 4*)
5. The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny (Inspector Gamache #5) (April, 4 1/2*)
6. Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb (Eve Dallas #29) (April, 3 1/2*)
7.
8.
9.
10.

3. New Series

1. In the Woods by Tana French (February, 3*)
2. The Ninth Daughter by Barbara Hamilton (March, 4*)
3. Going, Gone by Laura Crum (March, 3*)
4. Death on Demand by Carolyn G. Hart (May, 3*)
5. Design for Murder by Carolyn G. Hart (May, 3*)
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

4. Literary Giants

1. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (January)
2. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas (March, 4*)
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

In progress:
*~~ The Histories by Herodotus

5. USA

1. The Moonflower Vine by Jetta Carleton (May, 4*)
2. Food Rules: An Eater's Manual by Michael Pollan (May, 4*)
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

6. History
changed to World View on challenge thread Part 2

6A. World

Books of the Bible:
~~ "Genesis" (March)
~~ "Ruth" (April)

1. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant (March, 3*)
2. The Bible as History by Werner Keller (March)
3. Genesis, translation and commentary by Robert Alter (April, 4 1/2*)
4. The Gods of Eden by William Bramley (April, 1*)

6B. British Isles

5. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt (January, 3*)
6. The Rebels of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd (February, 4*)
7. The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory (May, 2 1/2*)

8.
9.
10.

7. Myth, Legend, and Fairy Tales

1. Briar Rose by Jane Yolen (March, 3 1/2*)
2. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book 1) (April, 4*)
3. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book 2) (May, 3 1/2*)
4. The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book 3) (May, 4*)
5. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book 4) (May, 4*)
6. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan (May, 3*)
7.
8.
9.
10.

8. Fantasy
COMPLETED April

1. The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. LeGuin (Earthsea Cycle, Book 2) (January, 3*)
2. The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 1) (January, 4*)
3. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 2) (January, 5*)
4. The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 3) (January, 4 1/2*)
5. Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 4) (January, 4 1/2*)
6. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 5) (January, 4 1/2*)
7. The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 6) (January, 3 1/2*)
8. The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 7) (January, 3*)
9. Wicked by Gregory Maguire (April, 4*)
10. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole (April, 3*)

9. Lucy Maud Montgomery

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

10. Children / YA

1. Brave Pioneers by Merlin L. Neff (The Bible Pageant, Volume 1) (February)
2. Conquering Heroes by Merlin L. Neff (The Bible Pageant, Volume 2) (March)
3. Kings and Queens by Merlin L. Neff (The Bible Pageant, Volume 3) (February)
4. Alison Dare: The Heart of the Maiden by J. Torres & J. Bone (May, 4*)
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Reserved for changes

Reserved for changes

It's hard for me to figure this out when I haven't even finished the 999 Challenge -- and I don't know for sure what I'll be reading for the rest of 2009. However, I'm pretty happy with my 999 categories, so for now I'm mostly just repeating them for the 1010, but of course I may change them if I get off on a new track.

I'm determined not to repeat Shakespeare and Native American for the 3rd year, hoping to pretty much finish this year what I want to read for those categories. And I've pretty much finished this year what I had planned for my Caroline Dale Snedeker category; if I have some left over, they will fit nicely into USA or Women Authors of Children's Books.

New for 1010 are Myth, Legend and Fairy Tales, and Lucy Maud Montgomery. A couple of people -- who are you? I've lost the thread it was on! -- expressed interest in a group read (re-read) of L.M. Montgomery. I'm not sure yet what will be in Myth etc. Quite a few years ago I was on a King Arthur quest, but never finished reading all the books I had collected. And I'm interested in reading some of the recent adult adaptations of fairy tales (recommendations, anyone?)

I'm interested in a group read of LMM. Just let me know what you're thinking.

>16 VictoriaPL:: No particular plans, Victoria. I was sort of thinking about starting with the Anne books, and then moving on to her others. I'm not even sure how many books she wrote, will need to do some research.

Anne of Green Gables was my #1 favorite book from about ages 9-12. I'm sure I read the series at least 3 times, perhaps more. But my small town library had none of her other books. When my older daughter was reading them, I re-read the first book and also read the first Emily book, but that's getting close to 20 years ago. I'm excited to revisit Anne and also read the books that I've never read.

For your myth category, I enjoyed The Thief. It was really, really good. I also am a big fan of the Percy Jackson series. And for King Arthur, if you haven't ever read the original Gawain and the Green Knight, it is worth reading. It's not easy, but I really loved it once I got going.

re: LMM. I've got The Blue Castle on my list already. I've heard good things about it.

Some interesting categories, ivyd. I don't dislike any of my first or second 999 categories this year but, for a few, I have read (or will have read) most of what I want to read in those areas.

I was really tempted to put a Law category in for next year but figured that the few books I read in that area can fit into another category.

I never really thought of myself as reading any YA books anymore but some of them do fit into that category, such as The Book Thief and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

It seems like several people are doing a fairy tales/myths/legends category - I'm among them too! :) Also, re #18, I totally agree that The Thief and sequels are excellent books!

I'm another one with a Legends/Fairy Tales/etc. category. I'm excited to see what everyone ends up reading for this!

Also, I'm ashamed to say that I've never read Anne of Green Gables, despite being Canadian. Maybe next year I'll finally rectify that.

>18 cmbohn:, 21, 22 cmbohn, christina, zoe:

Thanks for the recommendation for The Thief. I've seen it on some threads and thought it looked interesting, so I'm glad to know it is really good.

I see that the first Percy Jackson book is The Lightning Thief, which also sounds good. And no wonder that I was a confused about these two "thief" books, both with similar themes!

Cindy, I read a lot of Arthurian books, old and new, fiction and non-fiction, about 10 years ago, including 2 versions of Sir Gawain (the old one and Tolkien's). I think there's a new "translation" that just came out a year or 2 ago, too, so that's a possibility for this category; it might be interesting to compare them. I agree that reading Middle English is a challenge, but I fully enjoyed it! The version of Malory that I read claimed to have kept the original except for regularizing the spelling, which helped some, and although it became easier as I went along, it still took me quite a while to get through it.

Christina & Zoe, I'm glad to know you're doing a similar category! I, too, am excited to see what books everyone will choose.

I am not doing a Legends/Fairy Tales category but I do have a Myths- Legends - Fairy Tales - Folklore tag for my library. I will look for everybody's comments on what they are reading in the category. Just what I need, more wishlist and TBRs. Right.

Myths- Legends - Fairy Tales - Folklore

I wish there were some word that expressed all this more succinctly!

Agreed. It's quite the tag. Thank goodness LT has a drop down for recently used tags so I don't have to type it everytime. I'da thought of something else, for sure, if not.

Can I suggest Faerie Tale by Raymond E. Feist for consideration in your Myths- Legends - Fairy Tales - Folklore category. He's not an author that would spring readily to mind for something like this but I read this as part of my 999 challenge and think it's the best thing he's written.

>24 NeverStopTrying:-26: Wouldn't "folklore" technically emcompass all of it? But in form (and in my mind) all 4 are distinct, even though related. I hadn't given any thought as to what tag to use...

I can see that exploring this category is going to be a lot of fun. I can't wait to poke through your library, NST!

>27 AHS-Wolfy:: Thanks, Wolfy. I hadn't heard about Faerie Tale, but as well as your recommendation, I see others have also rated it highly. Apparently it deals with Celtic gods, which interests me a lot. My hesitation mostly comes from the comments about it being a horror thriller, a genre that I rarely enjoy. I think this is probably a book I will need to physically look at before deciding whether to read it, but even if I don't, I know someone who will be delighted to hear about this book.

> Warning, warning, warning: Not many of my M-L-FT-F books are entered yet. They are still in random access mode. I am getting through about 10 - 20 books a week, snuck in during telecommute refreshment breaks. Thanks for the interest and try again around the turn of 2010. As I said, I expect to suffer increase in wishlist and TBR disease as you guys read through your categories.

It sounds like you are way more knowledgeable about Arthur than me. I'll be interested to see what books you read next year!

>29 NeverStopTrying:: That's ok, NST -- I'll just keep checking back. I have 4+ months to decide what to read in this category, and already have 2 books filled in!

My library isn't a very good reflection of either my physical library or what I have read in the past. It's mostly just the books I have read in the last 2 years since joining LT, though from time to time, I add a few from the shelves. I hadn't figured out what to do about the ones I've read but don't have; I guess with the Collections option I could enter them, too.

>30 cmbohn:: Probably not all that knowledgable, Cindy -- it's just that I was practically obsessed by it for a while. No one really has the answers to the puzzle(s), and I was fascinated by how the story has changed and evolved over 1500 years (or maybe more), the Christian overlay on what may well have been Celtic mythology, the addition of the Grail legend, and the speculation on the "real" facts. What would probably be more helpful to anyone who's interested (and for myself, too) is for me to enter all my books -- including the partially read and unread ones -- into my library, with an appropriate tag.

Right in the middle of my Arthurian phase, I was fortunate enough to visit Glastonbury, the most magical place I have ever been. I'm still not at all sure how the atmosphere of that place fits into the legends, but I'm certainly not the only person who feels it.

24 -27>>
The dictionary says:

1. Legend, fable, myth, folklore refer to fictitious stories, usually handed down by tradition (although some fables are modern).
Legend, originally denoting a story concerning the life of a saint, is applied to any fictitious story, sometimes involving the supernatural, and usually concerned with a real person, place, or other subject: the legend of the Holy Grail.
A fable is specifically a fictitious story (often with animals or inanimate things as speakers or actors) designed to teach a moral: a fable about industrious bees.
A myth is one of a class of stories, usually concerning gods, semidivine heroes, etc., current since primitive times, the purpose of which is to attempt to explain some belief or natural phenomenon: the Greek myth about Demeter.
Folklore is the traditional beliefs, myths, tales, stories and practices of a people, transmitted orally.

If you look at all the definitions, STORY seems to stand out in all of them. And since most would seem to be old, Why not Ancient stories for your tags?

Just trying to help out.

>19 VictoriaPL:, Victoria: There are apparently 8 Anne of Green Gables books, as well as several Emily books, more than one Pat book, short stories. There's a lot of praise for The Blue Castle, and it seems to be more of an adult book. There are also volumes of Lucy's Maud's diaries, an autobiography, and at least one biography. There's a lot to sort out, but it's beginning to look as though this could easily be a "+20" category (which I'm not even contemplating at this point), or more than a 1 yr project.

>22 _Zoe_: Zoe: Absolutely no "shame" involved! Because I loved it so much, it makes me sad that every girl hasn't shared the wonder of it -- but, even of those who read it, not every girl feels that way about it. Perhaps you'll join us in January? It would be really interesting to have the perspective of someone who first reads it as an adult.

Edited to change "Lucy's" to "Maud's" since I just learned from Wikipedia that she was always known as Maud to friends and family.

>33 cyderry:: Thanks, Cheli! "Ancient stories" it will be!

>20 lindapanzo: Linda, I've enjoyed my previous and current categories, too -- would probably change them if I weren't. But a couple of them I sort of feel "done" with, at least for now, and want to go in new directions (or back to old ones).

I infrequently choose to read books about law, even the legal mysteries and thrillers. I have enjoyed Margaret Maron's Judge Knott series (which is only tangentially about law); and I read Philip Margolin, but mostly for his settings in Portland, and Ann Rule because she often mentions people I know or cases I know about.

As for YA books, I find it a peculiar designation. Because I'm always buying books for my neice & nephew, my granddaughter, and the children of friends, I like to keep up with the "hot" books. Some, like Twilight and John Green's books, I don't find to my taste, although I can understand why teenagers would enjoy them. Others, like The Book Thief, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, and Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy seem to transcend an age group, but have been called YA because the primary characters are not adult.

I do love children's books, though. The good ones capture the wonder and innocence of childhood, and the belief that no matter what happens, it will all turn out well. I find I can always use of dose of "What a wonderful world!"

Thanks for those definitions! I may end up calling my category "Folklore and Fairy Tales", since that seems most like what I'm thinking of. I also have an Ancient World category, so some mythology and legends might be able to fit in there, and I can always expand my Folklore and Fairy Tales category if necessary.

Okay, I will aim to join you for an Anne of Green Gables read in January! I'm not very good at scheduling my reading for a particular month, but we'll see how it goes :)

I like your organised style.
I'm having a peak at how others have done their threads and I think I'll set some posts near the top for changes to. Also, Great ideas on the categories.

>37 _Zoe_:: I'm so glad, Zoe! At the age of 9, Anne of Green Gables was a big undertaking for me, but children's books read fairly quickly for an adult, so I hope you'll be able to fit it in.

>38 KimB:: Thanks, Kim! This will be my 3rd year of doing a category challenge, and I've learned that 1) putting too many touchstones in a message makes them difficult to control, and 2) I like having my lists at the top of my thread for easy reference, and I keep running out of space after I change things around. Good luck with the challenge!

>39 ivyd: I'm not worried about the time so much as the psychology of it--somehow, knowing that I'm supposed to read a book, for whatever reason, makes me want to read it less. I think I may "cheat" by reading it in December this year when I'm not supposed to, because of course knowing that I should be waiting will make me want to read it right away! (I admit, I'm tempted to pick it up right now.)

I know, I'm crazy.

#40 I do that, too, Zoe.

If you don't find suggestions annoying, Ivy, I heartily recommend Troll. A love story by finnish author Johanna Sinisalo for your Myth, legend and fairy tales category. A really really fascinating book, about a sadly underexplored creature from nordic folklore. One of those books that kind of makes you look twice when going into the woods :)

L.M. Montgomery is a neat category. I am liking too many people's categories. I think I read nearly all her books when I was young. I remember like Kilmeny and A Tangled Web, for two of her stand alones. I think she also has books of short stories.

>40 _Zoe_: & 41:

I totally understand, because I'm the same.

As for Anne of Green Gables, anytime is fine with me, Zoe. (But now that I've said that, do you still want to read it now?)

>42 GingerbreadMan:: Thanks, Gingerbreadman! Suggestions are always welcome! Troll: A Love Story sounds very interesting; I don't know much about Norse mythology and will probably add it to my list after I have a chance to check on it.

>43 chrine:: I've only read the Anne series as a child, and I'm looking forward to reading the others. My quick attempt to get a list of her books revealed far more than 10, so I'm not sure which ones I'll read.

Her wikipedia page has a fairly complete list, I think. There are quite a few more than 10.

As for Anne of Green Gables, anytime is fine with me, Zoe. (But now that I've said that, do you still want to read it now?)

I realized that I first need to find my copy! It's always sad to go to the library to get a book that I already own. Everything is made even harder by the fact that I'm in the process of moving, so I have more books in boxes than is usual even for me.

But it's true... if you're willing to read it now, then I'd be happy to wait until January. I wouldn't mind reading it sooner, though.

Speaking as someone who has moved a lot, I find it very comforting to reread old favorites while in process of another relocation. For me, it has tended to Georgette Heyer. They are still in a crate, but they are all in one crate for EZ retrieval at need, even though I have officially stopped moving.

I spent a good part of today slotting books into my categories. At this point, it's essentially a wishlist, since I don't own any of these books except for Herodotus and the 8 volumes of Anne of Green Gables (which I just bought a couple of weeks ago).

What I end up actually reading will probably change quite a lot, depending on what great books I hear about that I can't wait to read, and after I add the leftovers from 2009. It's really clear that I will have no trouble whatsoever finding 100 books that I really want to read -- whether I can do it or not is another question.

I found your thread, Ivy. In my "not my usual" category, I plan to read some YA. I think The Book Thief and also Here Lies the Librarian.

Thanks for bringing my thread up, Linda! I'm really eager to get started, but need to think about my categories a bit more to make sure what I want them to be.

So... I've spent a while trying to update my candidates, and I'm feeling rather discouraged and I'm not done yet. I'm pretty sure that there are more than 10 books that I want to read in each and every category, there are many books that could go in several categories, and I have quite a few leftover from 2009 -- that I still want to read but are from categories that I don't want to repeat (that is, read 10 more books).

At the same time, I'm really looking forward to the wide open field of starting anew. I think I may adopt a version of Zoe's half-categories, by having subsets of a broader category. And I may revise my categories as I see what I actually read. But, for now, since I really don't want to feel constricted before I even start, I'm just going to list my planned January books, as others have done, and maybe once I get started, the categories will fall into place.

January:
The Picture of Dorian Gray -- READ January
begin Herodotus' Histories -- READ Book 1 in January
The Help by Kathryn Stockett -- READ January
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt -- READ January
Anne of Avonlea and other Anne books
Earthsea series -- READ Book 2 in January
The Chronicles of Narnia -- READ January
Louise Penny

This seems sufficiently eclectic to get me started, and then maybe I'll know which direction I want to go next.

I ended up listing more than 10 books for a lot of categories. I don't think I'll mind having three of the same half-category if it comes down to it (though I coiuld probably manage to find some grouping that allowed for a different name for one of them).

More importantly, I decided that explicitly planning out all my reads isn't the top priority. Instead, I'm thinking of my lists as mainly a reminder of all the good books that I already own that fit in the various categories--inspiration rather than a strict program to follow.

I like your idea of doing subsets of broader categories, too.

>52 _Zoe_: I never follow my lists, anyway, Zoe. Or even my categories. And since I have so many books listed that I don't own, it's partially just a wishlist. And I'm sure that my "candidates" will continue to expand through the year.

I've redone my categories and added sub-categories. The idea is that if I read 5 books in 10 categories OR sub-categories I will complete the half-challenge of 50 books. Then I can go for the full challenge, including the sub-categories as part of the 10 for the main category. Complicated, maybe, but I think I like it, and there's only 1 book that doesn't seem to fit anywhere, but I may not get to it this year anyway.

I see a lot of very thick books sitting on my tbr stacks. But I also have included a lot of categories for series books and children's and YA books, which usually don't take too long, so I'm optimistically starting the new year!

Ivy, you read such "good" books.

I note that you have the Rutherfurd book, New York, on your list, possibly. I would like to read that within a month or two.

January

1. The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. LeGuin (Earthsea Cycle, Book 2) (Newbery Honor Book 1972), 3*
Category: Fantasy

I don't dislike this fantasy series; in fact, I like it well enough that I want to read the whole series. At the same time, I can't rave about it, as others have, and I'm a bit surprised that it was named a Newbery Honor Book. I think my problem is that I don't feel drawn into this fastasy world, as I have with other fantasy / sci fi that I really like (e.g., Tolkien, Harry Potter, Dune). It's more as if I'm watching an animated movie: entertaining, but with no particular investment in -- or liking of -- the characters or the world.

This 2nd book in the series is about a girl who is taken, at the age of 5, to be Priestess at the Tombs. Although there are some references to Book 1, this could be a stand-alone book; all pertinent information from A Wizard of Earthsea is pretty well explained. A full understanding of the world of Earthsea would be missing without having read the first book, but I think I liked this book better.

54> I'm puzzled, Linda, about what you mean by "good" books...? I just read through my lists trying to figure it out, and they do in fact look good to me -- which is, of course, why I want to read them! I also noticed that at least 80% of them come from recommendations by LTers (including you), and that there are very few non-fiction books.

I don't have New York yet, but it's at the top of my list for when B&N next gives me a discount coupon. Have you read any other Rutherfurd books? I'm a big fan, and have read all but the 2nd book about Ireland, which I also hope to get to this year.

Oh Ivy, I meant books that are commonly thought to be "good for you" like classics and contemporary fiction. I rarely, if ever, read either of these. Good for you, as opposed to, say, mysteries and baseball books, for instance.

I have New York on hand but have never read anything by Rutherford before.

Linda, I think your non-fiction selections and your presidential biographies are highly edifying and should be considered very "good". I think that label depends on the person, and maybe our own reading can never be good enough.

#58, porbably true RidgewayGirl. I think of my nonfiction as "interesting" but not "good." I admire people who read a lot of classics and literary fiction. I don't.

If I were to look, and I think I will, I bet I didn't have more than 5 ot 6 books read last year that were not something besides (1) mysteries or (2) nonfiction.

>57 lindapanzo: & 58

I totally agree with RidgewayGirl! I'm always extremely impressed with all your non-fiction, Linda, and tend to feel vaguely guilty that I read so many "stories" rather than learning the facts. I just can't believe that, for instance, reading Shakespeare's take on Henry IV is any "better" for me than you reading, for instance, a biography of James Monroe, which I'm sure I'd get bogged down in rather quickly and am not even attempting.

As for classics and contemporary fiction, some I love -- and some I hate, despite how "good" others find them. You won't see any Dickens or Hawthorne, or any (more) McEwan or Atwood on my lists...

I think it's a matter of taste, personality, interests, and frequently situation or experience. I firmly believe that, unless it's something one needs to read for school or work, people should read what they enjoy reading. And I do love mysteries, too.

Getting back to Rutherfurd... I think you may like him, Linda. It will be interesting to see if you do...

Ivy, there was a time when I read a lot of those sweeping sagas from John Jakes. I think I'll like New York.

With the few group reading challenges I signed up for, I will certainly be reading more non-mystery fiction this year.

Last year, I recall reading and liking Admission and also that YA title by Richard Peck. Now I am curious and, after today's football games, will pull out my book list and see how many others there were.

NOTE: Being a curious sort, I had to check. Of my 155 books last year, eight were non-mystery fiction. Admission, two romances by Debbie Macomber, that YA title by Richard Peck, two Philip Donlay disaster novels, the new Dan Brown book, The Lost Symbol, and for the Missouri Readers group, Daniel Woodrell's The Death of Sweet Mister.

So, in 2009, no classics and one that might be considered to be literary fiction.

Linda, I got tired of counting and probably messed up a bit, but my reading for 2009 was approximatety:

of 135 books:
36 children & ya books
20 non-fiction (probably a record for me)
40 mystery series books (including Ariana Franklin & Stieg Larsson)
7 Shakespeare plays
which leaves only 32 general fiction, some of which tended quite a bit toward "mystery" and I would classify only 2 (or perhaps 3) of them as classics

It seems to me that the biggest difference in our reading last year (besides you reading 20 more books) was that you were reading non-fiction while I read children's books!

I read Admission on your recommendation, and very much enjoyed it. I like sagas, but haven't read John Jakes. I'm not sure why except I think I'm under the impression that there's too much war in them -- I get funny ideas that I won't like something, which quite frequently turns out to be wrong. It's one of the reasons I like LT -- when I see a book praised by people who like other books that I like, I'm often persuaded to give it a try and end up being pleasantly surprised.

2. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Category: Literary Giants

I'm not sure how to rate this; I'm not even sure whether or not I liked it. I thought many of the observations were astute (and quotable); found many of the characterizations and conversations (particularly at dinner parties) clever and funny; found interesting the characters' beliefs that seeking beauty and experience were the highest aspirations in life; and am puzzled about what Wilde actually thought about the philosophies that he presented, what he meant for the reader to take away from it, and whether or not he meant for there to be any "moral lesson."

I had read this book before, many years ago when I was 20 or so. I remembered little about it, except that I liked it, which is why I decided to join the group read. I think I got something very different from it back then than I have on this reading. I'll be posting some further thoughts about the book in the Group Read, and be very interested in other people's comments and impressions.

I'm glad to hear that you got through this, at least, Ivy. I read PODG for about 20 minutes last night and was thinking about giving up on it. Today, I am thinking I might continue for another half hour tonight.

Well, Linda, I can't say that I found it gripping. In fact, I considered, for a while last night, stopping and reading something else. The Group Read is for all month, so there's no pressure to finish, but I generally like reading novels all at once so that I don't miss or forget threads from the beginning, so I persevered. It does pick up a bit after the first couple of chapters, but then there's a slow spot in the middle again, and the end moves faster. It is a very thought-provoking book, both in itself and in the context of Wilde's life and times, so I think I'm glad I read it.

~~ Book 1 of Herodotus' Histories
Category: World

3. The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 1), 4*
4. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 2), 5*
5. The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 3), 4 1/2*
Category: Fantasy

6. Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 4), 4 1/2*
7. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 5), 4 1/2*
Category: Fantasy

I'm absolutely loving The Chronicles of Narnia! I haven't read them before, although I had seen the movie of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (which I liked). I'm about 99% certain that my library didn't have these books when I was a child; I know I would have loved them even more at that time. (I wonder if it had anything to do with their being British -- along the lines of Tolkien not being published in the US until the 1960s?)

Since I received the whole series for Christmas, I'm reading them in chronological (rather than published) order. The first book, The Magician's Nephew, is a prequel to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which was the first book published and I think the best. Although Lewis apparently wanted The Magician's Nephew to be read first, I don't think I would recommend it; while it's interesting to know how Narnia began, it only has importance when you have read (or seen the movie) The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Usually when I read series or children's books, after I've read 2, perhaps 3, or occasionally 4 if they're really good, I'm ready to read something else before I go back to them again. But I just can't get enough of Narnia -- I started Book 6 last night and really don't want to read anything else until I can't read more about Narnia!

8. The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 6), 3 1/2*
9. The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 7), 3*
Category: Fantasy

So now I've finished The Chronicles of Narnia, and find myself somewhat disappointed in these last two books of the saga.

The story line of The Silver Chair was all right. But it seemed somewhat tired, and I didn't find the new protagonists very likeable or well developed. Eustace seems to have lost his personality as well as his nastiness since The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and I missed the Pevensies.

In both these books, and especially The Last Battle, the religious allegory was very obvious -- too obvious, in my opinion. It's interesting that he wrote / published 2 books about earlier times in Narnia after publishing The Silver Chair and before The Last Battle. He seems to have had the ending in mind by the end of The Silver Chair, then went back to write The Horse and His Boy (which was mentioned in one of the earlier-written books), and then completed the circle by writing of the beginning in The Magician's Nephew and the end in The Last Battle.

I found it very interesting to see the influence these books have had on other accomplished fantasy/children's authors -- notably Pullman, Rowling, Lemony Snicket and Le Guin.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading the entire series. My disappointment in these last 2 books has had the effect, however, of making me glad -- rather than sad -- that I've finished.

It's been a very long time since I've read the Narnia books, but there was a period where I would read the series straight through and then immediately start up again at the beginning. In part because I loved the series but also because the early books were so much more enjoyable.

I read The Magicians by Lev Grossman, which is very blatantly (and affectionately) Harry Potter goes to Narnia, and it was pretty good.

>69 kristenn: Hi, Kristenn! I can understand re-reading the Narnia books. I'm sure I would have re-read them as a child, and one of my first reactions when I was done was that I couldn't wait to start reading them to my granddaughter... she's only 5, so probably best to wait a year or two...

Thanks for mentioning The Magicians. I didn't know about it, and will check it out.

10. The Help by Kathryn Stockett, 4 1/2*
Category: Contemporary Fiction

The Help is a marvellous book. Set in Jackson, Mississippi, 1962-1964, the story is told by first-person narration of three women: 2 black women who are maids in whilte homes, and a white woman who has just graduated college and returned to live at home. The voices are unique -- I don't think I ever hesitated in remembering who was narrating. The characterizations are wonderful, not only of the narrators, but also of the others -- I can't think of a single stock character in the book. Ms Stockett has the ability and talent to reveal a great deal about a character through a small scene or comment. She very much brings to life circumstances and attitudes of the era.

I gave The Help 4 1/2* instead of 5* because of the numerous (mostly minor) anachronisms. From her comments in the afterword, I gather that some of them were deliberate, in order to make a particular point. For someone who remembers 1963, the inaccuracies were annoying and jolted me out of the world she had created; they also made me question the accuracy of other aspects of which I have no particular knowledge. But deliberate or not, I think they were unnecessary and detracted from -- rather than enhanced --the story she was telling.

Ivy, The Help sounds like a terrific book. Is this the one that's a bestseller.

>72 lindapanzo: Yes, Linda, it is -- I could hardly put it down. And it is -- and deservedly so. It was also an interesting complement to Uncle Tom's Cabin and Their Eyes Were Watching God, which I read in December. It's curious, though, that of these 3 books, 2 of them were written by white women.

I haven't read it yet, but there's a pretty recent well-reviewed book by a woman who loved the Narnia books as a child and then re-reads them as an (agnostic) adult and discusses the whole thing -- The Magician's Book: A Skeptic's Adventures in Narnia by Laura Miller.

>74 kristenn: I read some of the reviews, and it does look very interesting. I always wonder about the people (fantasy, sci fi) who want to and are able to create entire alternate worlds. I've also been considering reading some of C.S. Lewis' works that are directly about religion, but I'm not sure when (or if) I'll get to them.

11. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt, 3*
Category: History ~~ British Isles

I liked the first 50-100 pages of Angela's Ashes, but by the last 1/3 of the book, I started each chapter thinking, "What stupid thing will he do now? Or what awful event is going happen next?" And I had to bribe myself to finish by alternating between this book and 2 Joanne Fluke books. I think I would have abandoned it if it hadn't been loaned to me by a friend who loved it and who keeps asking me whether I've read it -- so I kept hoping it would get better. But what do I say now? Probably that it was a really interesting view of life in Ireland between WWI and WWII, and that it's amazing that a successful and erudite man was able to emerge from such deplorable conditions. And because I did find very interesting the depiction of this era of Ireland's history, I now feel motivated to read Rutherfurd's 2nd book on Ireland. All of which is true.

My criticisms of the book:
1. A matter of taste: I love reading children's books about children; I do not usually like reading adult books about children (other than relevant minor passages about a character's childhood).

2. From a precocious and competent 3-5 year old, he became a stupid and naive teenager. That is to say, his perception and comprehension did not much develop as he grew older. And, quite honestly, I don't believe that -- being an intelligent child and living in those circumstances -- he would have been so innocent.

3. There is no indication of ANYTHING that would explain why he was able to rise above the horrible childhood. The ability to do that mostly comes from within, but in my experience there is always some outside influence which tips the balance, even if it only seems to be minor. This book, however, does not show me the strength of character that he would have needed, much less a motivating factor. Perhaps, given the title of the book, one is to assume that his mother was the influence, but I saw her as a weak woman with a victim mentality, and the seemingly cruel treatment by her relatives as an expression of their disgust and despair at her choices and behavior. On the other hand, maybe McCourt saw it that way, too, and means for the negative influence to be the motivation. I'm not sure. But I don't think that it was a true -- or at least not a complete -- picture of his childhood.

12. Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke (Hannah Swensen #11), 3 1/2*
13. Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke (Hannah Swensen #12), 3 1/2*
Category: Series Continuation

I do love this series. But I must say that I'm becoming rather annoyed at Hannah for not being able to make up her mind, especially after the events in Cream Puff Murder. Of course, there's a new twist at the end of Plum Pudding Murder -- can't wait to see what happens!

So am I. I wish she'd just pick the dentist and get it over with.

This dithering is starting to detract from the series, I believe.

>78 lindapanzo: I agree. Especially when it's becoming so obvious that she'd be headed for absolute disaster if she chose Mike. Of course, then the "formula" of being saved by Mike might have to change... but that might be a good development, too.

I am also tired of her being unable to make up her mind.

I've never read any Frank McCourt, and this review makes me even more determined to avoid him.

>80 cmbohn: Wise decision, in my opinion, Cindy. I won't be reading anything more by him.

14. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger, 3 1/2*
Category: Contemporary Fiction

A weird book. And a disappointment. After The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger had a lot to live up to, but I didn't think she even came close. I had my doubts before starting -- twins and ghosts -- but hoped she would bring originality and charm to these tired subjects as she had with time travel in the earlier book. Originality, yes. Charm, no. The real stars of the book were Martin and Marijke, minor characters of the sub-plot tied to the main story only tangentially (and not very adeptly) by theme and location. The twins and their supporting characters were boring, unlikeable, cardboard. And, although beautifully written, I thought the book was poorly constructed (in contrast to The Time Traveler's Wife, which I admired for its construction).

I'm giving the book 3* for originality, writing ability and because I never once considered abandoning the book, and an extra 1/2* because I haven't given up on her yet and will almost certainly read her next book.

Hm, that's a shame. Will be interesting to see if the group read later this spring shares your feelings! Admittedly, The time traveller's wife has to be a tough act to follow.

I don't understand why my posts suddenly disappear into cyberspace when I'm almost done. It seems to be happening more often... But I'll try again...

15. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, 4*
Category: Contemporary Fiction

I guess I shouldn't make sweeping generalizations, such as I did two books ago about not usually liking adult books about children. Because I did like this one, although it is not just about children.

Henry Lee is a 12-year-old boy of Chinese ancestry, living in Seattle in 1942 at the time of the Japanese internment. The book, however, alternates between his experiences in 1942 and his life in 1986, so it is not entirely a work of historical fiction, but explores a retrospective look at the time period as well as themes of love and friendship, father-son relationships and racial tensions. I liked Henry -- all of the characters, actually -- and thought the integration of the stories and time periods was quite well done.

On the downside, it is a bit too obviously a product of writing school and at times a bit too cute (e.g., the title). Once again, I am appalled at the failure of the editors to take care of occasional awkward sentence structure, pronouns with unclear antecedents, grammatical errors, corny dialogue, a change of point of view within a paragraph, and one anachroniism (that I caught -- there may have been more). Most serious, his use of 21st century catchwords and colloquialisms (e.g., passing, stunning, not about you) does disservice to both of the time periods and yanks the reader into 2009, which may very well affect the lasting relevance of the book.

Because of these flaws, I considered giving the book 3 1/2* -- but by mentioning them here, I'm overstating their importance. And I really did like this book -- a lot!

January Recap

The best book this month was The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I loved it, and I'm sure it will make my list of best books for the year. I also really enjoyed reading The Chronicles of Narnia, which I had not read as a child. My least liked book was Angela's Ashes.

1. Contemporary Fiction (3/10)
~~ The Help by Kathryn Stockett
~~ Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
~~ Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

2. Series Continuation (2/10)
~~ Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke
~~ Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke

3. New Series (0/10)

4. Literary Giants (1/10)
~~ The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
~~ Intro & Book 1 of Herodotus' Histories

5. USA (0/10)

6. History (1/10)
~~ Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

7. Myth, Legend, and Fairy Tales (0/10)

8. Fantasy (8/10)
~~ The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin
~~ The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
~~ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
~~ The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
~~ Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
~~ The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
~~ The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
~~ The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

9. Lucy Maud Montgomery (0/10)

10. Children / YA (0/10)

I'm on the waiting list at the library for The Help and really want to read it. I'm 268th in line for it, so I may use my remaining B&N giftcard and get a copy.

>86 RidgewayGirl: It's so frustrating to wait for a book that people are raving about! I was really fortunate to receive it as a Christmas gift, passed it on to my daughter (who also loved it) and now it's going to another friend. I hope you enjoy it, when you finally get ahold of it!

The author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is doing an LT author chat starting tomorrow so I need to read this asap.

Glad to hear you liked it, despite the flaws.

>88 lindapanzo: It's a pretty fast read, Linda. Thanks for mentioning the author chat -- I already had the book but moved it up on the stack because of the chat. I'm looking forward to seeing what he has to say.

Gave up resisting and added The Help to my TBR list. I think it's number 700 or so by now. Seriously, I have a problem!

Darn, why do I read other people threads when it only results in more books ordered from the library.

Is there some saying that you have to read all the books on your wishlist/TBR before you die? I hope so, because then I'll never die!
The Magicians goes on the wishlist/order from the library.

February

16. The Rebels of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd (The Dublin Saga, Book 2), 4*
Category: History ~~ British Isles

Rutherfurd's huge volumes tracing the history of a place from the earliest times to the modern era, through a series of loosely connected stories, seem to be books that people just don't find interesting -- or they love them. I'm one of those who love them, and I've now read all but the newest, New York (which is still dreadfully expensive, even with discounts). They are a combination of history and genealogy, presented through the stories of fictional ordinary people as well as historical figures; by covering the entire history of the place, one gets a sense of the cumulative effects of the historical events on the character and development of the locality and the people who live there.

The Rebels of Ireland is the 2nd book of The Dublin Saga, the first book The Princes of Ireland covering the beginning through the Tudor era. The Rebels of Ireland begins in 1597 and ends in the 20th century, after the Easter Rising of 1916, and it differs from his previous books, since it takes both books to cover the entire history. The focus of this book is therefore on Irish vs English and Catholic vs Protestant, complicated and dense subjects, necessitating a great deal of expository information (much of it "disguised" by inserting it in conversations). Not that I'm really complaining -- I needed those details to understand the events and I found much of it very interesting -- but my personal historical preference is pre-Tudor. In addition, I read The Princes of Ireland several years ago, and did not choose to re-read it before reading this one; I think this book would have been enhanced by a more contemporaneous reading of the first book. Although I liked this book, and I'm glad I read it, it's my least favorite of Rutherfurd's books.

I've been to Dublin (about 5 years ago) and would like to read more about it, though this is probably a bit more than I'd want.

I picked up New York for my Kindle. I think it was only $9.99. Still haven't gotten around to it yet.

Lucky you, Linda! Ireland is right at the top (along with the pyramids of Egypt) of places that I've never been and would like to see.

I saw that the Kindle price was lower -- it seems to be lower for a lot of the new books. But I don't have a Kindle -- and so far 1) it seems to be a luxury I don't need since I don't commute, don't travel a great deal, and mostly read at home; and 2) I'm very attached to having physical books in my hands (and on my coffee tables and bookshelves -- and in boxes and in stacks on the floor). Nevertheless, I'm weakening... I was really impressed when I saw an actual Kindle in operation.

My Dublin trip just sort of fell into my lap. A dear friend had a friend who couldn't use her timeshare week at a castle(!) just outside of Dublin so she (my friend) invited me along, no charge.

I just had to pay airfare and even there, my friend upgraded me to first class.

17. In the Woods by Tana French, 3*
Category: New Series

I've had this book on the tbr stack for a while, and thought that as long as I've been reading about Ireland this month, it would be a good time for it. That turned out to be true, since I picked up on several locations and references that I otherwise might not have.

I'm not, however, very happy with the book. I thought the first 1/4 or so showed a lot of promise, with 2 major mysteries, a couple of minor ones, and an archeological dig. But then it deteriorated into the agonizing introspection that I dislike so much. By the time it got back to the stories, I'd forgotten who the suspects were, but -- once I refreshed my memory -- the solution to one of the mysteries seemed overly obvious. The ending was, to put it mildly, disappointing; I'd like to say more, but can't without major spoilers, so I'll just leave it at that.

Does it even deserve 3*? Poorly drawn supporting characters, unlikeable main characters, people who can't get over a childhood trauma and wallow in their misery and make stupid decisions, poorly constructed mysteries, unsatisfying resolution, child abuse and twins. Yet... I thought the writing style was nice, at times rather elegant; I liked the view of Ireland; I thought that much of the police procedure and conversation was nicely done (though I just read a review that didn't agree with that). It's a close one between 2 1/2* and 3*, and I don't feel at all inclined to read the next book in the series, despite her "Ha, ha, ha -- now you'll have to read my next book to find the answers!" I just don't care.

@96 Seemed a vey very generous 3 indeed!

>97 GingerbreadMan: "Trick the reader" seems to be a popular technique at the moment. With one exception, it has just made me angry and very unlikely to read other books by those authors.

I had this book on my list to investigate, I think you did the investigation for me. I'll think I will pass on this one. Thanks for your review and opinion.

#96, Ivy, I'll have to ask my sister about this one. She absolutely loves Tana French. Last time she we visited, she included a copy of a Tana French book, maybe even this one, absolutely raving about it.

It didn't sound like my usual kind of book.

I read In the Woods and loved it, although I can see that leaving questions unanswered could be annoying. I prefer it myself, since in real life things remain unsolved. And Rob's reaction to revisiting what happened to him was more the point of the book than a digression; he'd boxed that part of his life away and been a high functioning adult until he was derailed by his past.

This, more than any other book I've recently read, really divides people into those who adored it and those who felt only bitter disappointment. I have yet to find someone who says they were bored.

Incidentally, the second book does not go back and answer any questions remaining from the first book. Rob has only a very minor role.

>99 cyderry:-101

I'm really glad you responded, RidgewayGirl, to give some balance to my comments. I think it may have been your review that caused me to add the book to my wishlist (knew it was someone whose opinion I respect, but couldn't remember who).

When I dislike a book, especially one that others have really liked, I always worry that I will discourage someone who would enjoy it, and try to be as specific as I can about my reasons, which may not be important to someone else. And while I think my criticisms are valid, I know that equal or worse valid criticisms could be made about many of the books that I love.

In the categories of my mind, In the Woods goes in with The Handmaid's Tale, Atonement, The Gathering, The Memory Keeper's Daughter and The Thirteenth Tale -- all popular books which other people love (including critics), but which I did not like. Perhaps someone else can come up with a better explanation, but the best I can do is say that they all focus on lengthy explorations of the thoughts and feelings of characters that I didn't like.

Linda, this is probably the book your sister loved; I think this one and the sequel are Tana French's only 2 books so far. She's in good company with her praise -- it's just not my cup of tea.

#102, it probably won't be my favorite either but you never know.

I am overdue on my ER review and need to get cracking on that. Everyone is raving about how great it is and I think it's dreadfully dull as I try to plod through. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

It's probably a good thing we're not all the same or things would be boring.

The disagreements do make LT more fun, IMO. And we're all experienced enough to take both positive and negative reviews with a grain of salt. I know that there have been reviews where the reader hated the book and because the review explained why they hated it and spoke a bit about the book that it has caused me to want to read the book.

Anyway, I do plan to read The Help, largely based on your review and decided not to pick up Her Fearful Symmetry for the same reason. I do enjoy hearing what you think, even and maybe especially, when I disagree.

>104 RidgewayGirl: I think so, too. It particularly fascinates me when people love many of the same books and then totally disagree on others.

I hope you enjoy The Help, and I'll be interested in your reaction. So far, it's my favorite book this year.

18. Kings and Queens by Merlin L. Neff (Book 3 of The Bible Pageant)

A couple of weeks ago when I was contemplating getting back to Herodotus, it occurred to me that some of this history, with which I am so unfamiliar, has significant overlap with Biblical history. So, rather than read the Bible itself, I chose to read a children's version of this era, along with the pertinent portions of Keller's The Bible as History.

It was so pleasant reading the stories and looking at the pictures while I watched the Olympics that I back-tracked and read the whole volume (this volume covers King Saul to the end of the Old Testament). I have no idea of the relative merit of this series as opposed to other versions of Biblical stories for children, but it's the one I had as a child and that I read to my own children. I don't agree with some of the theology and the "story chapters" are dreadfully dated (first published 1947-1950) but nevertheless contain some interesting information -- one even mentioned Herodotus!

19. The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran, 4*
Category: Comtemporary Fiction

I really, really liked this excellent first novel. A fictional account of the people involved in a real legal case, the story begins in 1890 in London, with Henry's acceptance of a post in New Zealand. Margaret is not pleased with the prospect, but as a good Victorian wife very much in love with her husband, she acquiesces without complaint. The first half of the book is about their experiences in New Zealand, and the second half takes place in California.

It's difficult to know whether to say more about the story. Most of the reviews – AND the blurb on the back of the book – contain spoilers, mentioning several events which do not occur until much later in the book, and I have to think that Ms Moran did not intend for those events to be disclosed before she chose to do so (and I'm going to ask her about that on Author Chat). On the other hand, knowing about those events piqued my interest in reading the book; I can't figure out how to make the book sound interesting without mentioning them; and even though I had read a review containing some spoilers, I still enjoyed the book and reading about what led up to those events, as well as what happened afterwards. If someone wants to know more, I'd suggest reading only a couple of sentences of the long reviews (some of them tell everything).

The characterizations are excellent, the story is fascinating, and the presentation of a legal anomaly is well done. My only complaint is that I wanted more: more about the situation in New Zealand, more about the experiences in California, more scenes showing the relationships between the characters, more details about everything. I think I would have been happy if the book had been 3 times as long.

I notice that In the Woods won the Anthony and the Edgar Awards so maybe I can read it for my "award winning books" category.

>108 lindapanzo: Maybe you'll love it, Linda! That seems to be a more common reaction than mine.

107>>
I have this one in the wings waiting to make its entrance, hopefully in March.
I need to learn to read faster!

Please let me know what you think of Birdsong. I've had it on my tbr pile for quite a while but I have never got around to it. :)

I noticed you have Here Be Dragons in your candidate list, I highly recommend it!

>110 cyderry: Cheli, are you referring to Henry Oades? I'm guessing that you'll really like it.

I just counted 9 books in my living room "read next" stack, and then moved a book from my office/library tbr stack into it.

>111 lanaing: miss_chievous, I'm not sure when I'll get to Birdsong, though I've been seeing wonderful things about it and really want to read it. I don't have the book yet, partly because I am a bit confused about Faulk's "trilogy." It appears that the order they were published is not the chronological order.

I do have Here Be Dragons -- it's one of those on the "read next" stack, so maybe I'll get to it soon. I love medieval history, and am glad to hear that you like this book so much.

~~ Book 2 of The Histories by Herodotus
Category: Literary Giants

20. Apple Turnover Murder by Joanne Fluke (Hannah Swensen #13), 3*
Category: Series Continuation

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest installment in the life of Hannah Swensen. It seems to me that the mysteries have become somewhat lightweight and incidental to the story of Hannah, her boyfiriends and her family. Which is all right with me, since I'm totally involved with them, but I do like a good mystery, too.

And the apple turnovers are great. I made them yesterday, since I had everything on hand (except the cranberries, so I substituted raisins). They took a little longer to make than she made it seem, and I think next time I will cut the apples into even smaller pieces than she suggested (to make it easier to fit more into the puff pastry). Well worth the effort, though!

#113 All right, now I'm mad. :) This is the ER book I've been waiting for since November.

I'm glad to know it's out. Maybe my library will contact me soon. Or maybe Kensington, at long last, will send me my copy of it.

>114 lindapanzo: It's just out, Linda -- I got it Wednesday. B&N has this new deal -- if I pre-order, I get 45-50% off (goes up again after it's released), plus a 15% off coupon, plus 5% off on their credit card, plus free shipping. With all that, I'd only save $2-3 by waiting 6 months or more for the paperback. I'm rather curious about their profit with these offers. Maybe they get additional discounts for volume, or something.

It's strange that they haven't sent it to you. I almost never win ER books, but when I have, they've arrived almost immediately.

Thanks for the info, Ivy. I've read here on LT that Kensington has really messed up all their ER books. I think they're trying to catch up.

It's funny but the ER books that seem to arrive immediately end up being ones I regret getting, almost as soon as I start reading them.

21. Brave Pioneers by Merlin L. Neff (Volume 1 of The Bible Pageant)
Category: Children / YA

This volume covers the book of Genesis.

February Recap

Only 6 books this month, the fewest since December 2008. Besides February being the short month, I started with a long book and have been watching the Olympics.

My favorite book this month was The Wives of Henry Oades, and the only one I didn't care for was In the Woods.

1. Contemporary Fiction (4/10)
~~ The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran

2. Series Continuation (3/10)
~~ Apple Turnover Murder by Joanne Fluke

3. New Series (1/10)
~~ In the Woods by Tana French

4. Literary Giants (1/10)
~~ Book 2 of The Histories by Herodotus

5. USA (0/10)

6. History (2/10)
~~ The Rebels of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd

7. Myth, Legend, and Fairy Tales (0/10)

8. Fantasy (8/10)

9. Lucy Maud Montgomery (0/10)

10. Children / YA (2/10)
The Bible Pageant by Merlin L. Neff:
~~ Brave Pioneers (Volume 1)
~~ Kings and Queens (Volume 3)

March

~~ "Genesis" (The New English Bible)
22. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, 3*
Category: History ~~ World

Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, and sister of the 12 brothers, is only briefly mentioned in the Bible. She was "taken" (often interpreted as "raped") by a prince of Shechem, and her brothers avenged her violation by destroying the city and its inhabitants. This is her story, as imagined by Ms Diamant.

The book is well written, and I found it mostly interesting. What I especially liked was the gentle, almost comforting, exploration of the connection between women, between sisters, and especially between mothers and daughters. For this alone, the book was worth reading.

But I found tiresome the over-emphasis on sex, sexuality, and bodily functions (though it was for the most part tastefully done -- and yes, I understand her point, i.e., the red tent was instrumental in developing the connections). I also question some of her history, though the time itself (ca 1700 BC) is rather hazy and I don't know very much about it. My biggest disappointment was her portrayal of men in general, and Jacob and Joseph in particular, as weak, foolish, almost disgusting. Jacob and Joseph, as portrayed in the Bible, are flawed but heroic, the protagonists of two of the finest and most loved stories in Western culture. Whether or not they were real people, whether or not their stories have been accurately handed down -- even whether or not Ms Diamant's imagined stories are more true than the Biblical version -- her attempt to change their images, rather than write Dinah's story within the context of the traditional stories, diminished my enjoyment of her book.

23. Briar Rose by Jane Yolen, 3 1/2*
Category: Myth, Legend and Fairy Tales

Briar Rose was not what I expected, though I don't really know what I did expect. All I knew about the book was that it was a re-telling of "Sleeping Beauty" and that a lot of people were praising it.

I raced through the book -- couldn't put it down and liked it very much. At the same time, I didn't find it to be very well written, nor particularly deep and moving, despite the subject matter. I'll elaborate on the group read thread, but I don't want to get into any spoilers since I know a lot of people are reading it right now.

24. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, 4*
Category: Literary Giants

Before I ever started, this book had 4 strikes against it: I'd started and abandoned it many years ago, I'm not a fan of adventure stories, I am not fond of 19th century literature, and I think much is often lost in translations.

The first 75 pages I found moderately interesting, then I got bogged down and considered abandoning it (based on flashes of deja vu, this was where I quit last time), persevered for a while longer, and then got caught up in the story. In the end, I really liked it.

The characterizations are superb, the integration of fictional stories and historical fact is beautifully done, and the story -- though long-winded -- is a great deal of fun.

I'm glad that the Group Read pushed me to finally read this book. It deserves its status as a classic.

25. Conquering Heroes by Merlin L. Neff (Volume 2 of The Bible Pageant)
Category: Children / YA

26. The Bible as History by Werner Keller
Category: History ~~ World

In his introduction, Werner Keller explains that when he became interested in the historical validity of the Bible, he was unable to find a book summarizing archeological discoveries which related to Biblical accounts -- so he wrote the book himself. The book was originally published in 1955, then updated and revised under his direction in 1980, so it is not up to date. It does, however, provide a wonderful summary of explorations and discoveries made up to that time.

The book has several problems: It is badly written and/or badly translated. There are no footnotes, endnotes, bibliography. It presupposes knowledge of the Bible and a general understanding of history in the Middle East.

He does, however, give dates, names, and locations of archeological expeditions; he references Biblical passages by Book, Chapter and Verse; and he discusses discoveries which tend to call into question the Biblical version as well as those which tend to support it. And he frequently includes anecdotal passages which are an entertaining relief from the fact-filled text.

I found the book fascinating, though very slow reading, and a good starting point if I decide I want to know more.

Ivy,
I wish I had finished by now too.
I'm still trying to squeeze chapters in between my chunkster about Franklin Pierce (due at the Library Friday - UGH) and a few others I started on audio. I have it on my night table and actually read 4 chapters last night before I started to fall asleep. Wish I was like Stasia and only needed a few hours sleep a night. Oh, well.

I'm glad you liked it. I was worried because of last year when I had such a hard time finding classics that I liked. So far, this one I am enjoying but I've got to get it done because I have the group read for Brutal Telling next month!

ETA - forgot to mention - I got another grandbaby on the way - due Halloween!

Hi, Cheli! Congratulations on the grandbaby! I keep hoping, but no luck yet on a 2nd -- and of course it would be preferable for my younger daughter to get married first, which looks like will happen sometime this year, before providing any. In the meantime, I'm just enjoying my first and only, though she's in kindergarten now and growing up much too fast!

Good luck with The Three Musketeers! The last third or so seemed to go much faster and was even more entertaining than the earlier parts of the book.

I'd better get moving on Louise Penny if The Brutal Telling is next month. I still haven't read the 4th book, though I have both of them -- I've sort of been saving them for when I want a book that I know I'll like.

27. The Ninth Daughter by Barbara Hamilton, 4*
Category: New Series

The Ninth Daughter is an excellent book -- thanks, Linda, for the recommendation! Part historical fiction (with a significant dose of literary license), and part cozy mystery, it succeeds as both. Initially, I thought that the appropriation of an historical First Lady as the heroine of a cozy mystery was rather audacious (unless your name is Elliott Roosevelt and the First Lady sleuth is your mother), but the book is so well-written, well-plotted and interesting that I ended up applauding her choice.

It's the fall of 1773 in Boston, when Abigail Adams, wife of John, happens upon a corpse. Sandwiching her investigation between her duties as an 18th century housewife and mother, Abigail sets out to solve the murder. Her quest leads her through the streets of Boston and nearby communities, into politics and the incipient revolution, and in contact with other historical personages as well as fictional characters. The time and setting is fully brought to life; the characters seem real (both those who actually were, as well as the fictional); the mystery is interesting and satisfying.

Trying to find out when the next book in this series will be released, I discovered that Barbara Hamilton is a pseudonym of Barbara Hambly, who has written a large number of fantasy/sci fi books as well as a mystery series set in New Orleans. Although sci fi is not my favorite genre, her ability to fully draw the reader into 18th Century Boston makes me think that she may have created some interesting other-worlds. I may try the New Orleans series, and I definitely will be watching for the next Abigail Adams mystery.

The Ninth Daughter has been on my wishlist for a while. I've got so many TBR's on my shelves already, though, that it's probably going to be longer than I'd like before I finally get my hands on it!

>126 cbl_tn: It was on my list for quite a while, too. I'm glad I finally got to it, and hope you'll be able to soon!

28. Going, Gone by Laura Crum, 3*
Category: New Series

Going, Gone is the latest installment in Laura Crum's cozy mystery series for animal lovers – horse lovers in particular. Horse veterinarian and amateur sleuth Gail McCarthy (now a home-schooling mother of 6-year-old Mac), along with her husband, her son and three horses, is vacationing in the Sierra Nevada mountains, camping and riding on the land of her former boyfriend Lonny Peterson. But, of course, the idyllic setting and anticipated relaxation are interrupted by murder, and Gail feels compelled to solve the mystery.

Ms Crum's forte is in her settings and characterizations. Her descriptions of the mountains and countryside are often quite lovely; and her vivid portrayal of the stockyards and auction arena fully brought to mind a stock auction house that I visited as a child and haven't even thought about for years. The main (recurring) characters are interesting and multi-dimensional, and even incidental characters (i.e., suspects) have some personality and individuality.

A love of animals and a strong commitment to kind and responsible care are evident throughout the book. As an animal lover, but not a "horse person," some of the terminology is foreign to me, but the general meaning is always apparent, and those who are familiar with horses will delight in Ms Crum's obvious knowledge.

The weakness of the book is the plotting of the mystery. Rather than Gail discovering clues enabling her to solve the mystery, the solution more or less just unfolds without any particular effort or deduction, by either Gail or the reader. The mystery seems to be rather incidental to the story of Gail and her horses.

I enjoyed the book and found Gail very likeable. The animal / horse theme was a nice change from the shop / inn / craft setting of many current mystery series. I am not averse to reading more of this series, but the weak mystery was disappointing, and I'm not rushing out to complete the series.

Barbara Hamilton has another Abigail Adams mystery coming out this fall. It's called A Marked Man. (too soon for touchstones, I think).

>129 lindapanzo: Oh, good! When I was looking around, 2 more books were mentioned, but without any release dates (that I could find, anyway). When I placed my book order yesterday, I was wishing I could read another one about Abigail -- settled instead on Carolyn Hart to try -- I thought I had bought one of hers a while ago, but can't find it and think I must have ordered something else that time.

29. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout, 4*
Category: Contemporary Fiction

Ms Strout has combined 13 short stories about people living in Crosby, Maine, into a chronological story about Olive Kitteridge, an outspoken and interesting 7th grade math teacher (later retired). Some of the stories are about Olive; in some, she is one of the primary characters; and in others, she makes only the briefest of appearances.

Each short story is a gem in itself. I'm less certain about the collection as a cohesive "novel," although the arrangement does show some some gradual changes in Olive.

All of the characters are beautifully drawn, especially Olive -- which is my problem with the book. Olive does indeed seem real to me, and I don't like her. I have (unfortunately) known several women who could have served as the model for Olive: forthright, outspoken, sometimes wise, often well-meaning -- but oblivious to the feelings of others (while she herself is easily hurt) and with a self-image that is totally at odds with others' view of her.

~~ Book 3 of The Histories by Herodotus
Category: Literary Giants

I went to Seattle this weekend with my daughter and granddaughter. We had a lovely time, and among other pleasant activities, we visited the King Street Railway Station and the Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (the Panama Hotel). The hotel houses a tea and coffee shop (where we had an excellent pot of tea -- said to be "the best tea in the world" and it just might be) and has numerous photos, maps and displays of possessions found in the basement. A section of the floor (about 3 feet x 4 feet) is cut away and glassed over to show trunks and possessions still in the basement. Tours of the basement and the Japanese bathhouse are only available by special arrangement.

My daughter and I both read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet earlier this year, so it was fairly fresh in our minds. We agreed that Mr Ford took some artistic license in his book, but it was nevertheless fun to see the actual setting.

March Recap

This was another slow month for me -- only 8 books plus a book of the Bible and Book 3 of Herodotus.

My favorite book this month was The Ninth Daughter. I didn't dislike any of them.
My favorite book of the 1st Quarter is The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

1. Contemporary Fiction (5/10)
~~ Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

2. Series Continuation (3/10)

3. New Series (3/10)
~~ The Ninth Daughter by Barbara Hamilton
~~ Going, Gone by Laura Crum

4. Literary Giants (2/10)
~~ The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
~~ Book 3 of The Histories by Herodotus

5. USA (0/10)

6. History (4/10)
~~ "Genesis"
~~ The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
~~ The Bible as History by Werner Keller

7. Myth, Legend, and Fairy Tales (1/10)
~~ Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

8. Fantasy (8/10)

9. Lucy Maud Montgomery (0/10)

10. Children / YA (3/10)
The Bible Pageant by Merlin L. Neff:
~~ Conquering Heroes (Volume 2)

April

30. Wicked:The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, 4*
Category: Fantasy

It's always a treat when you don't really expect to like a book very much, and then find it wonderful. I should have known: this is a book of my daughter's, stored here at present, and although she mostly reads non-fiction, the fiction she reads (that is, finishes and keeps) tends to be excellent. I expected it to be interesting, but I didn't think I'd find the back story of the Wicked Witch of the West, set in a land created by someone else, enchanting. But I did, and I'm eager to read more of Gregory Maguire's books.

Glad you liked that one as it's currently sitting on my tbr pile without a lot of signs around it saying read me next. You've just added one so it can start to compete with all the others just a little bit more now.

>136 AHS-Wolfy: Wolfy: It had been sitting on my tbr stack for a while, too -- probably because I wasn't at all sure I'd like it. I did enjoy it a lot.

31. A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny, 4*
Category: Series Continuation

This is another excellent installment in Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series. I may have liked this one better than some of the earlier ones, or maybe I've just forgotten how much I like them since it's been a few months since I read the first 3 books.

@131 I've read quite a few positive reviews of Olive Kitteridge now, and it sounds like somthing I'd like. The structure seems intriguing, and I sometimes love following main characters I don't like...

32. The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny, 4 1/2*
Category: Series Continuation

This is a terrific mystery, with a great deal of depth and character exploration as well! I think it's the best of the series so far.

>139 GingerbreadMan: I think Olive Kitteridge is excellent. Although I don't like her very much, it's because she is so very real (and my experience with other real people). The structure of the book is interesting; the series of stories brings to mind Salinger's stories about the Glass family, but they have never (yet, anyway) been published in this kind of arrangement.

#140 I'm glad you liked the Louise Penny book, Ivy. Now you're all caught up, too?

I think the new one in the series is out this fall.

Looks like you're doing well with this year's 1010 challenge.

I'm finally back into the swing of things, this month, after two off months.

>142 lindapanzo: & 143

Yes, I'm caught up on Louise Penny now (sadly -- I wish there were 20 books to read!). I'll be watching for the new one.

As for the challenge, I think I'm doing okay, but January was the only really good month this year. And I still haven't read as many books as I had by the end of March last year. I'm just barely on schedule to finish the challenge, but maybe I'll pick up the pace -- a bunch of mysteries and some children's books might do it!

I'm also feeling somewhat dissatisfied with my categories, and thinking of making some changes.

I'm glad to hear that you're past your slump, though! (Did the category change help?)

33. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, 3*
Category: Fantasy (completed!)

This delightful little book is said to be the original Gothic novel. It read more like a play than a novel -- characterizations, setting, and history developed primarily through dialogue -- and in my opinion owed much to Shakespeare, especially his comedies. It's not a masterpiece, but it's definitely entertaining.

Hi Ivy: I think my category changes helped. By the end of April, I should be right at about 30 books for this quarter for 1010 so I'm behind but not horribly so, considering the Feb and March I had.

I've got a couple of nonfiction categories that aren't as easy. I don't want to do all the easy mystery ones early on. Instead, try to do some of the "tougher" ones now, too.

34. Genesis, translation and commentary by Robert Alter, 4 1/2 *
Category: History ~~ World

Robert Alter, Professor of Hebrew at UC Berkeley, explains in his Introduction that his translation of the first book of the Bible attempts to retain the poetic language of the original Hebrew (and of the King James Version, which he admires for that reason) missing from modern literal translations, but to improve the accuracy of the standard (older) versions.

The result is a lovely version of Genesis, but what I found fascinating was his commentary, which is at least 1/3 and sometimes as much as 3/4 of each page (and in smaller print). The commentary is a mixture of 1) his explanation of Hebrew words and choice of English translation; 2) his own comments on the text, particularly themes which are indicated by similar or identical words or incidents; and 3) references to commentary of Jewish scholars.

It took me forever (that is, almost a month) to get through this book, going back and forth from the text and the commentary, and reading only a few chapters at a time. But I gained a depth of understanding of Genesis that I didn't even know was there.

Highly recommended.

~~ "Ruth" (The New English Bible)

Just a re-read of this lovely little book of the Bible, to refresh my memory after watching a commentary about it on television.

I'm not counting this as a "book" for the challenge, but want to record it since I'm now trying to keep track of the books of the Bible that I read or re-read. Maybe one day I will have read it all, even if not sequentially (several attempts to do so in the past have not been successful, so I thought I'd try it this way).

Ruth is the friendliest book of the OT, isn't it. No smiting or long lists at all.

I'll have to take a look at that translation of Genesis. I think my father would be interested.

Hee. Your touchstone takes one to a book in which the cover illustration features a couple (Adam and Eve?) supervising a gorilla who is gardening, but looking unhappy about the situation. Also, the gorilla has extra arms. I'm not sure my father would like this book at all.

>148 ivyd: & 149 Sorry about the touchstone! I forgot to check it, but it's now fixed!

I think that anyone who knows Hebrew would find this book especially fascinating, since Alter often goes into depth about possible meanings of the Hebrew word and why he chose the English word(s) that he did, and frequently compares the occurance of the word in other places in the Bible. But even without knowing Hebrew (I don't), the commentary adds several layers to Genesis.

35. The Gods of Eden by William Bramley, 1*
Category: History ~~ World

I finally finished this book, which I told someone I would read, and I really don't want to waste any more time writing about it. Basically, it's conspiracy theory at its worst: positing the theory becomes proof of its existence, no cohesiveness nor logic necessary. And this theory covers it all: ancient astronauts, religion (pretty much all of them, though the Catholic Church comes off pretty well in comparison), secret societies, the international banking system, revolutions, wars, plagues -- all "proof" that humans were created as slaves for some kind or other of superior beings (aliens), who use "the Brotherhood network" to keep us enslaved and prevent our "spiritual recovery."

Not recommended.

36. Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb (Eve Dallas #29), 3 1/2*
Category: Series Continuation

Since I usually read the 2 newest books each year, and have been for 10+ years, it's sort of difficult to make comparisons between the books. I think, though, that this one is one of the better books in the series.

~~ Book 4 of The Histories by Herodotus
Category: Literary Giants

37. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1), 4*
Category: Myth, Legend, and Fairy Tales

I'm hooked -- I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in this series. I did think that the early chapters were a bit slow -- necessary information, but not cleverly done -- but once Percy left the boarding school, I couldn't put it down.

What's funny is that this book is based on the same premise as the "non-fiction" The Gods of Eden that I just finished (and as American Gods, which I didn't much like): the gods are still among us. I prefer Riordan's version.

April Recap

Again, only 8 books plus a book of the Bible and Book 4 of Herodotus, for a total of 37 books this year. But, if I don't overread categories (which I'm very likely to do), I'm still on track to finish.

I think my favorite book this month was The Brutal Telling, although the best book was probably Robert Alter's Genesis.

I didn't like The Gods of Eden, although I found some of the "information" interesting.

1. Contemporary Fiction (5/10)

2. Series Continuation (6/10)
~~ A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny
~~ The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny
~~ Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb

3. New Series (3/10)

4. Literary Giants (2/10)
~~ Book 4 of The Histories by Herodotus

5. USA (0/10)

6. History (6/10)
~~ Genesis, translation and commentary by Robert Alter
~~ "Ruth"
~~ The Gods of Eden by William Bramley

7. Myth, Legend, and Fairy Tales (2/10)
~~ The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

8. Fantasy (10/10) -- completed
~~ Wicked by Gregory Maguire
~~ The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole

9. Lucy Maud Montgomery (0/10)

10. Children / YA (3/10)

(Not all of the touchstones are working properly -- I'll come back and try to fix them later.)

May

38. The Moonflower Vine by Jetta Carleton, 4*
Category: USA (Missouri)

This is a really good book, set in Missouri in the first half of the 20th century (thanks for the recommendation, lindapanzo and others). It seems to be somewhat autobiographical, though Ms Carleton notes that while the family structure is her own, the events are fictional. Nevertheless, she knows about farms and families, and the story she tells is totally believable.

It's the story of Matthew and Callie, who come from humble beginnings, and their four daughters. They all struggle to rise above the constrictions of their Methodist religion, their economic situation, their time and place and education (or lack of it). Some succeed better than others. Some have secrets. All are individuals with their own strengths and weaknesses. Yet, despite the hardships and rebellions and missteps, the family holds together (that's not a spoiler -- we're told that in the first two pages).

I can't really put my finger on what makes this such a good book. Everything about it -- writing style, structure, characterizations, setting, plot -- is good, but not outstanding. But everything together makes this a book that I won't soon forget.

Glad you liked it, Ivy. I thought so, too. The Missouri Readers group on LT seems to make some great book choices.

Next up is a nonfiction book about the big New Madrid, Missouri earthquake in the early 1800s.

155> If you like the concept of gods among us, you might want to check out Gods Behaving Badly for your myth category. In Marie Phillips' novel the Greek gods are living in today's London. I've heard good things about the book, but haven't read it yet.

~~ Book 5 of The Histories by Herodotus
Category: Literary Giants

As the book moves into Greece, I'm finding it more interesting and easier reading. It's nevertheless pretty slow, and the goal of 1 Book per month is just about right.

>158 lindapanzo: Maybe I should check out that group, Linda. Although I've never been to Missouri, I find it really interesting since my grandfather was born there.

I've read a little about the big earthquake -- in the Winchester book about the San Francisco earthquake, I think, or possibly in the travel diaries I read last year, or maybe I just saw a tv program about it. As you know, I struggle a bit with non-fiction, but I'll be watching for your report on the book.

>159 ReneeMarie: Renee, I'm not sure whether or not I like the concept of "the gods are among us." I do think it's an interesting theory, but I find Rick Riordan's fantasy treatment a lot more to my taste than Bramley's insistence on it being fact. I've also heard of Gods Behaving Badly and have considered it for this category. I think my dislike of American Gods put me off a bit on this whole theme, but since I did like Riordan's book, I may give Phillips a chance too.

Ivy,

I loved Lightning Thief too and read Sea of Monsters last month. There was a big time difference from when I read the first one to the second and it took me a bit of time to recall all the references to Lightning Thief. Now I am reading Titan's Curse and I think it is a bit easier because I can remember what happen last month easier than last year. So my advice, find those books as soon as you can! Don't let too much time lapse between readings.

FYI - I'm not sure if the story in Sea of Monsters was less entertaining because of my diffiicult recall problems or if it was the story. I enjoyed it, but not as much as Lightning Thief. But then again, I think the newness of the story in Lightning Thief also added to the pleasure.

39. Old City Hall by Robert Rotenberg, 3*
Category: Contemporary Fiction

I'm having a hard time deciding on a rating for this book, and also what category I should put it into. I wanted to read it after I saw a couple of glowing recommendations; I enjoyed it, and got quite caught up in the characters and the mystery, but I didn't think it was especially outstanding. But I should probably also say that, although I've read and liked quite a lot of both over the years, legal thrillers and detective mysteries are not my favorite genres (I prefer the cozies) -- and this book is a combination of the two.

Written by a Canadian lawyer, Old City Hall is set in Toronto, where the common-law wife of a prominent radio talk-show host has been killed. The story is developed, in very short chapters, from the multiple points of view of a huge cast of detectives, lawyers, an East Indian immigrant and one journalist. Several other characters also play significant roles in the story. The investigation and courtroom scenes were detailed and quite good, though perhaps just a bit too detailed. The mystery was a good one, with a couple of twists. The denoument was satisfying, although not all my questions were answered (as I believe Rotenberg intended). His writing style is adequate.

I think my biggest criticism of the book is that there was just too much going on with too many characters. I thought they were well-characterized and interesting, but with so many back stories and characters and the frequent shifts among them, it was confusing and disruptive to the plot.

It would seem that this might be the first in a series, although I have the impression that it took Rotenberg many years to write this one and I don't find any references to upcoming books. But if there are more books, I will probably read them: the mystery was interesting and I'd like to know more about the (many) characters. I'm going to pass this book on to my (actual and future) sons-in-law, and I suspect that they might like it more than I did.

>162 cyderry: Cheli, I ordered the next 3 books in the Percy Jackson series (but will probably hold off on the last one until it's in paperback). My experience has been that the 2nd book in a series is often the weakest one; the first book is brimming with the originality and enthusiasm of the author, the 2nd often reflects the uncertainty of "where do I go from here", but then the author finds his/her stride and settles comfortably into the series. In any case, I'll let you know what I think and will be interested in your opinion of the 3rd book.

Also, for anyone interested in books for beginning readers, I ordered a couple of Ivy and Bean books for my granddaughter. I haven't read them (yet), but her godmother gave her the first book for Easter. She loved it, and was absolutely delighted that she could read it herself (her first "chapter book" read entirely on her own).

re 164 Sometimes I'm a bit slow... I just realized after I posted this message that Annie Barrows, author of the Ivy and Bean series, is the same Annie Barrows who edited her aunt Mary Ann Shaffer's book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

40. Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn, 4*
Category: Contemporary Fiction

Clever, amusing, delightful. A perfect book for people who love language and words. There's a deeper message, too, with regard to power and government and blindly following the dictates of evil or weak leaders, which I suppose is why this book is sometimes called a satire -- but I'm not very good with satire and I enjoyed the book on a much shallower level because of the wordplay. (And, thanks, Cheli, for the recommendation, which I believe was quite some time ago -- I forgot I had the book until I found it in my tbr stack a couple of days ago.)

Ella lives on the fictional island of Nollop, where the author of "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" is venerated. As the statue with his masterpiece begins to lose its letters, the Island Council decrees that those letters must be eliminated from the islanders' language. Letters written by and to Ella and her family, along with a few missives from the High Council, chronicle the difficulties of life and communication as the continued deterioration of the statue further constricts the language of the islanders.

41. Alison Dare: The Heart of the Maiden by J. Torres & J. Bone, 4*
Category: Children / YA

Twelve-year-old Alison Dare is a spunky, bright, resourceful and amusing heroine. With a famous archeologist mother and a superhero father, her life is anything but ordinary. In this adventure, she's now back at St Joan's Boarding School, after having spent her summer with her mother at an archeological dig. The nuns running the school are exhibiting some curious behavior around a statue of Joan of Arc, and Alison must decipher the secret of "The Heart of the Maiden."

Aimed at children aged 8 to 12, this graphic novel is not only a captivating and action-filled adventure, but also provides interesting facts about archeology, legends and history. Although the references are brief, they could very well spark interest and inspire further exploration; and many of them are clever and funny, resulting in a book that older children and adults will also find entertaining.

42. Death on Demand by Carolyn G. Hart, 3*
Category: New Series

I liked it, but I wasn't thrilled with this first book about Annie Laurance, who inherits a bookstore specializing in mysteries and then becomes involved in a real mystery of her own.

The mystery was ok, and I liked the many references to books, authors and literary characters. At first, I liked Annie, but toward the end of the book I found her actions foolish and thought she behaved like a silly, spoiled 6-year-old. I think, too, that having been published in 1987, the mystery (partly turning on nascent computer technology) and the attitudes toward and of women are rather dated.

I'm not done with this series yet; I'm already into book 2, and liking it so far. And, if I have my information right, Ms Hart didn't begin winning awards until book 3. So, as of now, I'm reserving judgment on whether I'll continue with the whole series.

I was pretty underwhelmed by Death on Demand also, and I haven't continued with the series. I'll be interested to see what you think when you've finished the next couple of books...I might have to revisit the series!

The Carolyn Hart series is among my favorites. Way back when, all I knew of were the old traditional-type mysteries, like those of Agatha Christie. Carolyn Hart was the first "modern" mystery author I discovered.

Like Paretsky's, I would think her early books would be quite dated now.

I still get/borrow each new one that comes out.

Ivy - I'm glad that you enjoyed Ella Minnow Pea. I thought that book 3 of the Percy Jackson series was much better than the second.

No I'm going to have to catch up with you because I have Death on Demand on my pile near the top.

43. Design for Murder by Carolyn G. Hart (Death on Demand #2), 3*
Category: New Series

I liked this 2nd book in the series a lot. The mystery was quite good, set during a festival of historical homes in a nearby small town. And the mystery within the mystery -- Annie was hired to create a fictional mystery to be solved by the participants -- was fun. I really like the drawings and lists that Max and Annie create, and I love the references to other mysteries.

This book didn't seem as dated as the first one, and athough Annie's temper sometimes got the best of her (I know that feeling!), she didn't seem so childish as in the first book. I think that I do want to continue with this series -- the question is just whether to do it right away or whether I first want to try one of the other series that I keep hearing about.

44. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2), 3 1/2*

I really like this children's / YA series. I agree with Cheli that this 2nd book is not quite as good as the first. While the 1st book was highly original, within the traditional structure of a children's fantasy adventure, this book seemed heavily influenced by the Harry Potter books and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (both of which I consider superior). In addition, the bulk of this book was dependent on magic and mythical settings, rather than the interaction of the gods with the human world, which I find more interesting.

I did think, though, that he did a better job in this book of giving the traditional stories of the mythological characters. I don't think that most people (including me, let alone 10 to 14-year-olds) know enough Greek mythology for a lot of it to make sense without the explanations.

Ivy,
Early this year a read The Complete World of Greek Mythology so that I had a refresher from my youth. It's really interesting how Riordan uses all the different minor gods. I'm working on book4 now and really enjoying this one.

I finally added my review of Alison Dare: The Heart of the Maiden in msg #167. I feel a bit out of my element in reviewing a graphic novel, since I've read very few, and didn't even read many comic books as a child. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it and think that most 8-12 year olds would, too -- especially girls.

>174 cyderry: Cheli, I was thinking I ought to brush up on my Greek mythology, but I've been too interested in reading Riordan to stop and do it. I'm in the middle of Book 3 now, but maybe will want a change of pace when I'm done with it -- I'll have to see what I can hunt up around here -- I think there's a book upstairs that might be good -- I have Bullfinch and another children's book in my office, but I don't think they say much about the minor gods.

45. The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3), 4*
Category: Myth, Legend and Fairy Tales

Another exciting episode in the life of Percy Jackson, half-blood. Once again, I agree with Cheli, that this book is better than the 2nd.

46. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book 4), 4*
Category: Myth, Legend and Fairy Tales

A great installment in this series, perhaps the best since the first book.

I can't decide whether to read Last Olympian now or wait. What about you?

>178 cyderry: Cheli, I'm debating it, too. Last night I read about half of The Demigod Files (the little filler book from last year while everyone was waiting for The Last Olympian). I don't have The Last Olympian, but I have the feeling that it might jump into my next book order. I'll be sorry to see the series end, but I am also really eager to find out how it all ends... Have you heard anything about his new series?

Actually there's another after The Last Olympian. It's called The Sword of Hades.

As for the new series, are you talking about the Kane Chronicles or Heroes of Olympus series?

>180 cyderry: Cheli, you caused me to investigate. I was talking about the Kane Chronicles because I didn't know about the Heroes of Olympus series. The Kane Chronicles seem to have somewhat mixed reviews, but not many reviews yet. I think I will probably try both of them, but not for a while. (I also found that he has written several other books that I didn't know about.)

As for The Sword of Hades, this appears to be a separate special publication (with a story from someone else) of one of the stories in The Demigod Files (same title, description sounds like the story I just read). It does not take place after The Last Olympian but before it: Christmas between the The Battle of the Labyrinth and The Last Olympian -- and it contains major spoilers for someone who hasn't read Book 4. More below.

47. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan, 3*
Category: Myths, Legends and Fairy Tales

This small book contains a couple of puzzles, a map of Camp Half-Blood (which doesn't strictly correspond with some of the descriptions in the books), portraits of some gods and demigods, a list of major Greek gods, "interviews" with campers, and 3 stories.

The first 2 stories are entertaining but rather lightweight. The time setting is (deliberately?) nebulous, although there are some clues (ages, etc) given that might more specifically identify the time if one is inclined to figure it out. They seem to take place sometime around Book 4.

The third story, "Percy Jackson and the Sword of Hades," is a bit longer and quite good. It appears that this is the same story that has also been published separately (see msgs 180 & 181). This story clearly takes place after Book 4 (The Battle of the Labyrinth) and contains major spoilers of that book. It is set at Christmas after Book 4, and before Book 5 begins in the following summer.

48. Food Rules: An Eater's Manual by Michael Pollan, 4*
Category: USA

My son-in-law, who has read Mr Pollan's longer and more detailed books The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food, insisted that if I wouldn't read those books I should at least read this little summary of his approach toward food. As soon as I read the dedication -- "For my mother, who always knew butter was better for you than margarine" -- I knew that this was a book that I would agree with.

The book contains 64 brief "rules" for better eating, although he explains that they should be viewed more as policies than rules, and that one should use those which fit one's life. They are divided into 3 sections, to support his thesis:

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

Mr Pollan deplores the prevalence of "foodlike substances" and the unhealthy US diet. He sometimes gives reasons, but does not present much supporting material in this book. His rules include such items as: don't eat things that your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food, or that contain ingredients that a 3rd grader can't pronounce; eat all the "junk food" that you want, as long as you cook it yourself (on the theory that the effort to make it will curtail your consumption); and don't eat cereals that change the color of the milk.

Many of the "rules" are based on common sense, traditional diets and folk wisdom. I found very little that I disagreed with, and not a whole lot that I didn't already know/believe, but the book is nevertheless, as it was meant to be, a good set of practical policies for healthier eating.

Ivy,

What great investigative powers you have!

Now I will definitely have to find Sword of Hades before I read The Last Olympian. Thanks for the heads up!

Cheli, I bought The Demigod Files when I got the others because B&N had it (maybe still does) as a bargain book for $5. I wonder if the other publication is exactly the same, or if he might have improved/expanded it for the separate book...

I enjoyed it, but it's not as good as the full-length books.

49. The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory, 2 1/2*
Category: History ~~ British Isles

A few years ago, I read Ms Gregory's 3 books about Henry VIII and enjoyed them. I know enough about the Tudor period to know that she is not a reliable historian, but I thought her original approach to the people and events was interesting (even though I mostly disagreed with her slant on them).

The Other Queen was not very interesting and not very original. History has mostly depicted Mary, Queen of Scots, as beautiful, selfish, spoiled, vain, often silly and probably not very smart. I wasn't looking for 400 pages of confirmation, covering only the first three years of her captivity in England. Little actual history is given in this book; it's primarily the repetitive whining and agonizing of 3 selfish, shallow and obsessed people (Mary with being Queen, George Talbot with Mary, and George's wife Bess of Hardwick with money). There is little differentiation between their voices, or even their characters, except for the objects of their desires.

The only good thing about this book is that I now would like to know more about Bess of Hardwick.

May Recap

May was a better reading month than the previous couple of months. I'd hoped to reach 50 books by the end of the month, but I didn't quite make it.

I guess I'll choose The Moonflower Vine and The Battle of the Labyrinth as my favorites for the month, although it's difficult since I really enjoyed everything except The Other Queen.

1. Contemporary Fiction (7/10)
~~ Old City Hall by Robert Rotenberg
~~ Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

2. Series Continuation (6/10)

3. New Series (5/10)
~~ Death on Demand by Carolyn G. Hart
~~ Design for Murder by Carolyn G. Hart

4. Literary Giants (2/10)
~~ Book 5 of The Histories by Herodotus

5. USA (2/10)
~~ The Moonflower Vine by Jetta Carleton
~~ Food Rules: An Eater's Manual by Michael Pollan

6. History (7/10)
~~ The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory

7. Myth, Legend, and Fairy Tales (6/10)
~~ The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
~~ The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
~~ The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
~~ The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan

8. Fantasy (10/10) -- completed April

9. Lucy Maud Montgomery (0/10)

10. Children / YA (4/10)
~~ Alison Dare: The Heart of the Maiden by J. Torres & J. Bone

Ivy,

I think that it is a bit unusual that of the books you read this month, I've read 4 and have three more on my list for this year. I also order demigods today. (B&N still had it on sale - thanks for the heads up)

Perhaps not too strange, Cheli, since I know Ella Minnow Pea was on your recommendation, and maybe The Lightning Thief (which led to the others) also? I watch your thread closely, knowing that we usually like the same books.

Which of the others are on your list for this year?

The Demigod files, when it gets here; Death on Demand and Design for Murder I've had out twice to start and something else has jumped in the way. They are defnitely a 2010 read.

I thought The Demigod Files was a lot of fun, but not as good as the rest of the series. I saw The Red Pyramid at Barnes and Noble when I went last night. I wish I could have gotten it then, but maybe next payday. It looks like it will be a good series too.

190 & 191>

I agree with you about The Demigod Files, Cindy. I'm glad I read it, though, before I got to The Last Olympian, which will be in my next book order. The Red Pyramid sounds really interesting, and I definitely intend to read it, but probably not for a while.

Cheli, I was a bit disappointed with Death on Demand, mostly because it was so dated. But I really liked Design for Murder, and more of this series will also be in my next book order.

I've started a new thread beginning June 1, and have finally today mananged to get it updated:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/92187#2001961