bell7's 2010 Book List

Last year I kept track of my reading in the 50 Book Challenge Group, but since I regularly read a lot more than that, I figured it was time to graduation to the 75 Book Challenge.

For what I read last year, check out the first and second threads from 2009. As I did before, I'll also be keeping track of any graphic novels, manga, or comic books read, but I'll keep a count separate from the other books I'm reading in 2010.

I'm also participating in a few challenges. This will be my main thread for everything read, but here are my threads in those challenge groups for a slightly different perspective of what I'm reading this year:
1010 Category Challenge
Dewey Decimal Challenge
Reading Globally and
Books off the Shelf Challenge







Here's to a good reading year in 2010!

Welcome! Nice ticker...

Wauw, just looking at your first thread from 2009 gave me an enormous bunch of TBR's. Can't wait to see what's coming up this year. I absolutely need to have you starred.

If I keep reading books I am going to end up looking exactly like the book guy on your profile page.

Catching up for 2010!

Welcome to the group, Mary!

Just skimming your first '09 thread, I think I'm going to really like reading your thoughts (and stealing from your booklist) this coming year. Good luck!

Hey Mary, I am a LOSTie too! Waiting for Netflix to send me season 5.

Camenere I have been watching all the season on Netflix as well

Hey all, thanks for the welcome. I'm looking forward to following what you all are reading and, I'm sure, adding more and more books to the TBR pile (the mental one is more like a mountain range at this point...).

Carmenere and jlynn7, my brother has Season 5 on Blu-Ray so I've been watching with him from time to time, getting ready for Season 6 - only a month away!

Well, 2010 is off to a rocky start with two books abandoned after 50+ pages each.

I'm now reading Wolf Hall which is fantastic so far. I've also begun The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis Vol. 1, a Christmas gift from my sister, and a super-long book that I expect to be reading for a few months...

2 books abandoned - yikes! Sounds like you are back on track with Wolf Hall though.

I had to abandon Narrow Dog to Carcassone last night, twenty pages in. I felt bad because I'd heard it was funny and wonderful - I expected Bryson on a boat - and it's so early in the year, but half of it was unintelligible! Was Darlington drunk throughout the entire writing process? Fortunately his second book looks a little more... sober... so he's got a second chance.

Looking forward to your take on Wolf Hall - which I haven't QUITE persuaded myself to buy yet - and hope you have better luck with your next few books!

I tried Narrow Dog to Carcassone last year and gave up very quickly; I hated it. You might try Floating Island by Emily Kimbrough if the idea of the canal boat trip appeals to you...I really liked it.

Hi, Mary! I'm looking forward to seeing what you're going to read in 2010. Still have some of your recs from 2009 yet to read. I want to get to Fraiser's book, The Pleasure of Reading real soon.

>12 alcottacre: alcottacre, well, I did stop reading 25 books last year (one because it was the abridged audio, but others for various reasons of just not getting interested in the book at the time), so I guess I average about two a month.

>13 elliepotten: Ellie, I'm really enjoying Wolf Hall so far. The present-tense writing takes a little getting used to, especially when she's moving back and forth in time and I'm a little shaky on the order of things (world history class never felt so far away). But I'm finding the characters and story intriguing and have to say that the narration in present tense also gives you a feeling of you-are-there instead of a dry historical text.

>14 TadAD: TadAD, based on your recommendation, I was looking at my library catalog to see what was available by Emily Kimbrough, it looks like she's written quite a few travel/memoirs that I kind of want to look into now.

>15 bonniebooks: Hi Bonnie! I've got your thread starred, so I'll be following what you're reading too. I should give Ellie at least half-credit for The Pleasure of Reading since I first heard about it from her early last year.

Yes, I think The Pleasure of Reading was my third or so book of 2009, wasn't it? I remember I went out to the bigger town near us (our closest two are quite small) and did a massive trawl of the big library there - including this book - and then had to struggle home with them all! Thanks for the thoughts on Wolf Hall too - very helpful - I'll get a copy soon I think, maybe as a treat once I've read a few more off the TBR pile...

Tad - I'm adding Kimbrough to my list right now, sounds much more up my street...

What is the Books off the Shelf Challenge?
--BJ

Another Wolf Hall fan here. Gotcha starred!

I very seldom abandon a book because I tend to read books that I know I will love. There have been a few that I should have given up on, but I tend to be an optimistic reader and hope that I'll find some redeeming factor in the end.

#18 It's a challenge to read books that you already own. For me, that means reading 25 books that I have had for more than a year and don't have a review up yet. Everyone's details are a bit different.

>17 elliepotten: Ellie, funny you should say it will be your treat after knocking off a few more books, as I keep looking at my mini-TBR pile on the nightstand thinking, "These will be my treat after I finish Wolf Hall..." (not that I'm not enjoying it, just that it's so long I don't want to be distracted with other, shorter stories)

>18 billiejean: BJ, it's basically what jasmyn9 said in #20 - more specifically, I've challenged myself to read 40 books from my own bookshelves in an attempt to whittle down those 60+ owned but unread and hopefully make some room on the shelves for new books.

>19 Donna828: Hello Donna, thanks for stopping by! About abandoning books - well, I could go on forever I guess about why I choose a book or why I might put it down but I'll try not to. :-) I tend to know what I like, but sometimes it's hard to nail down what I'm in the mood for, and that's probably the number 1 reason I would (temporarily, in this case) abandon a book. The second most often reason would be that I sometimes pick up books that I think would help me in my job as a librarian - the book that is on the bestseller list or all the local book clubs are reading - that maybe didn't interest me personally but seemed like a good one to know about. Sometimes I find gems like The Help, and other times I read about 50 pages, decide it's not for me, and just try to make mental connections of similar authors, or readers that might appreciate the book more than I did. So even an abandoned book is not a complete loss.

I should note that in "pages read" I am tallying the pages of books that I abandon as well as those finished - it's still reading time, and I thought it would be an interesting statistic... for me at least. :-)

1. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

In England in the 1530s, politics and religion are inextricable, and King Henry is attempting to divorce his first wife, Katherine, in order to marry the woman he loves, Anne Boleyn, with or without the permission of the Pope. Thomas Cromwell, the son of a blacksmith, becomes Henry VIII's chief adviser through his own cunning and ingenuity in tumultuous times. We see most of the story through Cromwell's point of view, though the writing is in third person. There are so many characters, especially men, that it is easy to get confused with the Thomases and Henrys, but the list of characters at the beginning is extremely helpful for sorting everyone out, and I managed to get on well once I discovered that any "he" with no clear antecedent generally refers to Cromwell.

The story is extremely well-crafted, written in present tense, repeating certain phrases and highlighting the metaphor of wolves with the title. Besides being the actual home of the Seymours, Wolf Hall aptly describes King Henry VIII's court and his counselors vying for power: "The saying comes to him, homo homini lupus, man is wolf to man" (468) sums up the constant political machinations, infighting and backbiting that's going on throughout the story. Indeed, I found most of the characters, except perhaps Gregory Cromwell, unlikeable and felt that Cromwell was - purposely but frustratingly - a bit of an enigma. As the best historical fiction does, Wolf Hall gave me more detailed information than a mere high school textbook about a particular period and interested me in learning more. I only wish that the author's note gave more detail about background sources that I could go to next, and where she either reinterpreted or took liberties with the historical record. The present-tense narration takes some getting used to. I found it distracting, particularly in one chapter that covered about nine years in such away that left me a little confused about the chronological order of events. But at the same time, I cannot fault the author for her choice, because it leaves the reader with a sense of immediacy - all this may have happened 400 years ago, but you are there with the characters, traveling as they do through their choices and compelled to read on to find out what happens next. 4 stars.

Great review! I'm going to give it a thumbs up... in a minute, when this stupid computer has stopped mucking around enough for me to reboot it. That's what you get for installing ancient home computers in the workplace. Grrrrrr. :-)

Thanks, Ellie! If/when you end up reading it, I look forward to reading your thoughts on it. And I hope your computers are working better for you. ;-)

I'm so glad you gave that quote "man is wolf to man" because when I went back to the text I couldn't find it. I, too, gave Wolf Hall 4 stars and am looking forward to the sequel.

Hi Donna, glad you found that helpful. I'd been thinking how childish many of the characters seemed when I read that part, and left a bookmark there because I thought it a very appropriate description of much that had happened throughout the story. I'll probably keep an eye out for the sequel, though I haven't decided for sure if I'm going to read it or not (I almost feel like I should read up on my history first).

2. Ford County: stories by John Grisham

I just want to start of saying that this is more about me than the book. I don't want to give you the impression that, though I really didn't like it, this is a bad book by any means. As other reviewers have said, these are "slice of life" stories all set in the same county as some of John Grisham's previous titles, and though I didn't recognize any of the characters, more thorough readers of his oeuvre probably will. It's different from his usual fare: there are several lawyers in Ford County that make an appearance, but courtroom dramas and legal thrillers are not really a part of these tales. It's much more about the characters simply living out their lives.

Basically, however, I dreaded picking up the book. Ford County is a pretty depressing, impoverished place as described in these stories, and the characters are depressing too. There were only a few with whom I sympathized, and even fewer that I actually liked. None of the stories were particularly hopeful, so reading it generally put me in a bad mood.

Why then did I finish it? Why give it any stars at all? Well, as I told you, this is more about me. I generally have no problem putting down a book I dislike or even one that I would enjoy in a different mood - no use putting myself through it when there are so many other great books out there that I want to read now. But before finishing this book, I had already abandoned two books and only finished one, and I was determined not to start of the year with a 3:1 abandoned to finished ratio. Added to that, I reached page fifty (the place where I would normally abandon a book that is not working for me) in the second story, "Fetching Raymond" which was just as depressing as the others but also managed to make me care about characters that I didn't like - and that's saying something. It's because of that story and the fact that I appreciate Grisham trying something new - and doing so decently well, even if not to my taste - that I'm giving the book two stars.

3. ArchEnemy by Frank Beddor

This is the conclusion to The Looking Glass Wars trilogy, and as such may have ***spoilers*** for the previous titles, The Looking Glass Wars and Seeing Redd.

Queen Alyss Heart has returned to Wonderland and taken her rightful title, but with Her Imperial Viciousness, Redd Heart still alive and allied with King Arch, who is determined to make the queendom of Wonderland into his kingdom, she still must fight to defend the Heart Crystal and White Imagination. Meanwhile, the caterpillars - the oracles of Wonderland - have been a little less cryptic than usual and apparently are meeting not only with Alyss but with Arch. What exactly are they up to?

I was a little less taken with this title than the others in the trilogy, because the writing was a little uneven, and so was the pace. Instead of everything coming together into the climax I expected, the plot was a bit scattered and I was left feeling a little less than satisfied in the end. Yet this is incredibly inventive and fun, even for a reader who was not a fan of the original Alice in Wonderland. 3.5 stars.

I think that my girls will love this trilogy. They especially like books that are retellings of familiar stories. Thanks for the review. I added the first one to my wishlist.
--BJ

#28: My local library has only the first book in the trilogy available as yet. I am not reading that one until they have all 3, lol.

>BJ, I love retellings too. :-) The Looking Glass Wars is a good one for folks familiar with the original Alice and a little about the Liddells or Dodgson, who make appearances as well.

>alcottacre, yeah, I don't blame you for waiting 'til all 3 are available. The wait for sequels sometimes drives me crazy, especially when it's so long between them that I have to reread to remind myself of what's going on.

#31: It would not be so bad if I knew my local library would get the books in a timely manner, but unfortunately, that is not the case. They may just end up only having the one.

:-( That's too bad. Do you have any kind of interlibrary loan system where you can request books from another library?

#33: Yes, we do have ILL. I just do not like having to use it.

I see - and don't blame you, really, I could see how it would be a bit of a pain to do so. I work at a library and use ILL all the time...trying to cut back so I'm more familiar with the books we own, but then all these folks on LT make recommendations for books I just have to read... :-)

Yes, I know that feeling!

4. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde

Imagine a world where everyone behaved well: there are no prisons, no wars or uprisings, everyone follows the Rules. A utopia? Maybe not. As twenty-year-old Eddie Russett is about to find out, a world in which everyone unquestioningly follows Rules that cover everything from the most mundane ("Flowers are not to be picked. They are to be enjoyed by everyone.") to absurd (spoons may no longer be manufactured), a world that follows a strict color hierarchy based on which color(s) the inhabitants can see from Purple at the best to Grey at the worst, holds some secrets. And having curiosity about such secrets may just get him killed - as he tells us from the first page, the activities of the past four days flash before his eyes while he is being digested by a carnivorous yataveo tree.

Having read all of the Thursday Next books by Jasper Fforde, I put a hold on this book as soon as I knew that it was coming out. Fforde's writing can't be put in a box: it's part science fiction, part dystopia, and all humorous even while making a serious point about unquestioning obedience. The details of the dystopia overwhelmed me at first, as there are so many details that I had to keep a handle on, such as the meanings of merits, positive feedback, and trying to grasp how people who only saw one or two colors saw the world. Fforde creates a good sense of tension at the beginning, hinting that all was not right in the death of Robin Ochre, a "swatchman" (essentially a doctor) out on the Outer Fringes whom Eddie's father is replacing. The middle dragged a bit, however, as naive Eddie muddles about trying to figure out what the reader already has - that all is not right in his world - and deciding whether or not to trust Jane. Though Eddie is the narrator, Jane really steals the show with her adamant refusal to treat people with respect merely because of the color they see. I look forward to seeing what happens to these characters in subsequent titles. 4 stars.

#37: I picked that one up at the library the other day due to numerous good reviews here in the group. Sounds like I am really going to like it!

Yeah, I was excited to read it too from all the positive comments on LT. I look forward to seeing what you think of it.

Thumbed your review - and I think I might have to go order this one, with all these great reviews flooding LT right now!

#37 Thumbed yr review of Shades of Grey. I finished it a couple of days ago and thought it was brilliant. Wish we didn't have to wait so long for the sequels though!

>Ellie, definitely a worthwhile read. Have you read any of his others? Thursday Next was a great series, and I've been meaning to try the Nursery Rhyme crimes too...

>Heather, thanks for stopping by! I'm afraid I didn't look into when the sequels were coming out, do you know when the sequels are due out?

January in review -

1. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
2. Ford County: stories by John Grisham
3. ArchEnemy by Frank Beddor
4. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde

Books read this month - 4
Cumulative for the year - 4
Graphic novels/manga/comics - 1
Books abandoned - 3
Standouts - Shades of Grey was definitely the best of the bunch

Hmm...an abysmally short month of reading (I usually average 9-10 books a month at least), but mostly because of some traveling I did at the beginning of the month and the fact that I've been reading big books - Wolf Hall and the almost-finished Crime and Punishment. I expect my reading will pick up significantly from here on out.

Uuh, Crime and Punishment - can't wait to hear what you think of it. I looove that book! It's been quite some years since I read it, but I clearly remember reading it. I had just moved into my very first apartment, I hadn't even gotten curtains up and those black windows kept staring at me, so I took Crime and Punishment from the shelf and within very few pages I was absorbed and had forgotten all about black windows and strange noises from the unfamiliar building.

#42 You should definitely try the Nursery Crimes books, they're also really good!

On the sequels front I don't think there are dates for the Shades of Grey sequels but from the author's webpage (www.jasperfforde.com - it's well worth checking out if you haven't already - it's very surreal) Thursday Next 6 is due Jan 2011 (he's just started writing it) so Shades of Grey 2 maybe Jan 2012?

The only Fforde I've read so far is The Big Over Easy - but I really enjoyed it and have a couple of the Thursday Next stories waiting in the wings...

>FrkFrigg - yup, finished it early this morning, and it was great! I'm still thinking about how to review it, but will post my thoughts soon.

>souloftherose, thanks for the recommendation for Nursery Crimes books, I'll definitely check them out - and hooray! I can't wait for another Thursday Next book!

>Ellie, I haven't yet read The Big Over Easy, but it's on the long list of ...well, the TBR mountain range. I loved Thursday Next, though it was the sort of humor to take in doses - too much craziness at once (even if a lot of it's smart humor) gets you sick of it, you know?

5. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

What I thought: When my friend recommended this book I thought about it briefly, but was intimidated by reading a long, Russian classic that I was utterly unfamiliar with. And indeed, the length of this novel (my library copy came in at 629 pages) is intimidating. So when I decided to read it this year, I joined another group read and was a little nervous, expecting some long, dense passages like those I had come up against in The Brothers Karamazov.

What I found: This is an incredibly readable, compelling story of a man, Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov, who considers committing a terrible deed that has been haunting his dreams for some time. "Rodya" is a very flawed yet sympathetic character, and the reader is drawn into his life as well as meeting many other memorable characters along the way. There are philosophical passages, yes, but they're thoughtful without being too dense, and Dostoevsky knows how to write fast-paced passages when the situation calls for it. A few times I was practically holding my breath reading as fast as I could to find out what happens next, other times I was slowing myself down to think about what he was saying and whether I agreed that a certain class of people was above the law and thus above guilt. All the while, I had the sense that the author knew exactly what he was doing in crafting the story and looked forward to seeing how he brought it all together. If I had to categorize Crime and Punishment, I would say that it is a psychological investigation of motives, guilt, and choices that humans make. All in all, I'm very glad that I listened to my friend instead of my misgivings.

Great review!

I've never read The Brothers Karamazov, but both when I read Crime and Punishment and The Idiot I was surprised by how easy Dostoevsky was to read, despite the confusing Russian names and the lenght of the books, and Crime and Punishment is definitely one of my favourite books.

Thank you most heartily - you might just have de-intimidated me in your turn... Maybe I won't be so scared to read Crime and Punishment with all these happy words of satisfaction!

>Thanks FrkFrigg, it was really hard to write because I didn't give anything away, and it's a massive book and there was just so much I wanted to say...so it's a little different format from the rest of my reviews 'cause I was trying to get over a bit of writer's block. I definitely want to own my own copy of Crime and Punishment now so I can reread it whenever I feel like it.

>Ellie, glad to de-intimidate! ;-) You might want to keep a notebook handy to keep track of all those names, but it's an excellent long read for a winter's day with a nice cup of cocoa....

6. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

In this alternate history set in 19th century Seattle, Leviticus Blue created a massive machine called the Boneshaker, which dug below the city banks and released a cloud of gas that turned those who breathed it into "rotters." Fifteen years after the incident, Levi's wife Briar and her son, Ezekiel, deal with the censure of their neighbors for being related to Levi and to Maynard Wilkes, Briar's father who infamously let inmates free to get them away from the gas. When Ezekiel sneaks into the now walled-off Seattle, filled with the poisonous gas and the rotters, determined to clear his grandfather's and father's names, an earthquake leaves him stranded on the inside. Briar is determined to find him and enters the city after him.

After years of reading fantasy, I've gotten pretty good at suspending disbelief, which you really need to do to get into this steampunk/zombie story. If you can, it's a fun premise and I enjoyed the re-imagining of Seattle and American history. The world-building was well done and the writing moves along quickly. I wanted a little more to happen in terms of the story as some revelations were not all that surprising, but overall it was a fun ride and I'd be willing to read more by this author. 4 stars.

**possibly some spoilers** One aspect of the plot kept reminding me of An American Tail - Briar almost finds Zeke or Zeke comes to where Briar was just a few minutes ago and...but no, they can't find each other yet, it's not the end. Just shows what generation I'm from, I guess.

Re: Cherie Priest, I would highly recommend her Eden Moore series; the first book is Four and Twenty Blackbirds. It's very, very well written, and one that I've reread several times.

#52: I already have that one in the BlackHole. I hope I can get my hands on it soon.

#53: I am adding Four and Twenty Blackbirds to the BlackHole. Thanks (I think!), Jasmine.

Thanks, willowsmom (love your name & profile pic), I'll have to keep that in mind for another one to try.

Stasia, isn't it somewhat satisfying to see a book you already want to read on a list? No pressure of just one more book added to the pile/mountain/mountain range/black hole... I look forward to seeing what you think!

#55: It is a double-edged sword in this case: I want to read the book and it is on my PBS wishlist, but I have not gotten a copy yet and my local library does not have it yet either.

That's true. I was thinking of it more as an "Oh good, I don't have to add it to the list, it's already there." If I hadn't borrowed it from the library myself, I'd send it to you...hope you get a copy soon!

Thanks! Me, too.

Oh shoot! Dream sequence? I guess it's been too long since I've read Crime and Punishment because I thought Rodya did commit the crime. Gees! More evidence of the creeping A!

No no, you remember right. Just there was a dream sequence at the beginning (remember the bit about the horse?) and he'd been dreaming about it before he did it...

Alright, here's for you Lost (and Reduced Shakespeare Co.) fans - http://sky1.sky.com/lost-reduced-the-complete-performance - Lost reduced: five seasons in 10 minutes.

Boneshaker is already on the wishlist and I've read Crime and Punishment - phew! Glad you enjoyed them!

>61 bell7:: Darn! I really want to watch that but my internet service is really weak right now. Thanks for the link though.

>62 souloftherose: one of these days, I'll add more to your TBR list. :-)

>63 bonniebooks: Bonnie, hope you do get a chance to watch it sometime. It's great!

7. Blackout by Connie Willis

After his trip to the Black Death five years ago, Colin wants to time travel again, but Mr. Dunworthy won't hear of it. And right now Mr. Dunworthy has his hands full, anyways: going to St. Paul's in 1950 for some unknown reason and to London to speak with someone who raises troubling questions about time travel. Not to mention, many of his operatives' schedules change last minute, throwing wrenches in the works for people like Michael Davies, who was given an implant to have an American accent in Pearl Harbor only to be told he's going to Dunkirk instead. Because of the schedule changes, Michael, Merope ("Eileen" while on assignment), and Polly Churchill are all observing various aspects of World War 2: ordinary heroes, evacuated children, and Londoners in bomb shelters, respectively. But their assignments seem to be getting out of control, starting with the substantial slippage that Mike and Polly experience, and continuing downhill from there.

Though easily accessible as a standalone, Blackout may also appeal to readers who would recognize returning characters from Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog. Once you get into the meat of the book you're experiencing historical fiction with a twist: the characters you're following are from 2060, not 1940. Following their stories can be a little confusing at first, because though they all left within days of each other in 2060, they're in different whens from 1939-1940, and the story is told not chronologically but by following Mike, Eileen, or Polly for a chapter or two each. But the extra effort is worth it in the end. The characters are wonderful, and I really found myself caring not just about the main characters but also the "contemps" like Marjorie the shop girl and the terrible Hodbins. I really got lost in the story as I just had to find out what happens next, reading the last half of the book or so nearly in one sitting. If you're adverse to cliffhangers, I suggest waiting to read this one until All Clear comes out in the fall. 4.5 stars.

#65: Looking forward to your thoughts on that one!

Hi Stasia, hope my thoughts were helpful. :)

Just a note to myself - I've counted 205 p. read of The Ends of the Earth: An anthology of the finest writing on the Arctic and the Antarctic, since I finished the "Arctic" side and the book flips over and the pages start anew...

#65 - I hope you can help me here. I've just read your review of Blackout. I generally count myself as a non-sci-fi fan but I read To Say Nothing of the Dog last year (I cannot remember for the life of me how I ended up reading that book - perhaps it was a LibraryThing recommendation - but I absolutely loved it). My question is: you say that Blackout works as a standalone but, in your opinion, is it worth reading The Doomsday Book first if I can get hold of it?

Hi verdelambton, to tell you the truth I haven't read Doomsday Book myself, only To Say Nothing of the Dog, so what follows is a bit of hearsay. Doomsday Book involves some of the same characters and the time traveling historians, but it's a more serious tone then To Say Nothing of the Dog, and the time involved is when the Plague was rampaging England.

Since some of the characters overlap a bit, you might find reading them out of order a bit of a spoiler (in Oxford, anyways, Blackout takes place about five years after Doomsday Book), but I think you can get along fine figuring out the characters and their motivations - and definitely events, as most of the action takes place in an entirely different time period.

Hope that helps!

I read Doomsday Book last year and loved it. I do not know if you need to read it before Blackout since I have not read the latter yet, but if you get a chance to read Doomsday, I highly recommend it.

#65: Thanks for the input on Blackout, Mary.

#70 / 71 Thanks. I've put off reading Doomsday Book because I'd heard that it was heavier going than To Say Nothing of the Dog. However, I like the sound of it being set in the time of the Plague. Maybe I'll get Doomsday Book out of the library and give it a go. If I can't get into it I know that I can always try Blackout instead and not feel I've missed anything essential.

Stasia, thanks for the info on Doomsday Book. My mom has it out of the library right now, so I might steal it from her if she's got another book going.

verdelambton - glad we were able to help a bit. Whichever you end up reading first, I hope you enjoy it!

8. The Hunt for the Eye of Ogin by Patrick Doud

This book was received through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program, and when I got the notice that I'd won it, I was really excited that it seemed to match perfectly with my go-to genres of fantasy and teen fiction. Thirteen-year-old Elwood Pitch and his dog Slukee are exploring the woods near his new home, when suddenly the wood becomes strange and Elwood finds a path to a new world. In this world, he meets Drallah Wehr, a girl a few years older than him who tells him that her land is in danger because the immortal protector, Granashon, is missing. They decide to ask Mithloo, Drallah's uncle, how they might send Elwood back home, but their plans change quickly as they realize they need to find Granashon in order to have any hope of doing so..

I was really disappointed in this book, to the point where every time I picked it up I was forcing myself to read to write a fair review. The narrative was distracting, as information about the plot and characters was dumped upon me, the dialog was stilted, many of the names unpronounceable, and the writing reminded me of Eragon in that the author seemed stylistically uncertain of himself - should the narrative feel old-fashioned or modern? This really kept me from getting into the story, which I may have enjoyed otherwise. The story is typical of journey stories in the fantasy genre, and while it didn't work for me, it might for others. It's hard to give this a rating, since it's written for young teens and not me as an audience, and I have to say if someone in that age group was interested in reading it, I wouldn't discourage them. Based on my own experience in reading it, however, I'm giving it 1 star.

#74: I had a real clunker of an ER book recently too and at the 85-page point I gave up on it. I included in my review that I just could not finish the book. I hope the next ER book you read is a much better one!

Me too, Stasia! I have The Secret to Lying waiting for me, so here's hoping...
btw, congrats on your job, and good luck on your first day!

Thanks, Mary. I appreciate it!

9. Flashforward by Robert J. Sawyer

Lloyd Simcoe and Theo Procopides, two physicists working for CERN, have prepared their whole lives for this moment: trying to capture the Higgs boson with a Large Hadron Collider by recreating energy levels that haven't been seen in the universe since directly after the Big Bang. But when they start the experiment, their consciousnesses move forward twenty-one years into the future for a brief minute or two before returning to the present. In the aftermath, they realize that everyone in the universe experienced something similar, and no one - including the scientists - are quite sure why.

Flashforward takes a common question of humanity and literature, "What would you do if you could see your future?" and investigates it from a science-y point of view. Can the future be changed, or is it as immutable as the past? Does free will exist? Since the characters are physicists, you know their answer is going to be pretty heady, and I was grateful for the science nonfiction I'd read last year or their discussions would have been even further over my head. Lest this sounds like a slog, let me assure you that the reading is generally fast-paced, a good blend of mystery and very human characters that kept me reading even if I didn't always understand things like the Minkowski principle and what not. (Actually, that sounds a good bit like watching Lost.) The book is set in 2009, which I had to remember was ten years in the future when the book was originally written, but I had fun "spotting the differences" between last year and how Sawyer imagined things might be. An entertaining read, and recommended if you don't mind (or can comprehend) the physics theories and discussions. 4 stars.

Edited to correct spelling.

10. Emma by Jane Austen (audio)

Emma Woodhouse is a rich young lady living in a small community. She is practically the head of her household, independent and lively, and a little spoiled. She becomes friends with another young woman, Harriet, the illegitimate daughter of no one knows who, but Emma is certain that no gentleman farmer is good enough for Harriet. She is determined to make a better match for her friend. At the same time, the stepson of her old governess, Mrs. Weston, comes for a visit and starts to show Emma every attention.

I always find it hardest to convey what I think and feel about books that are so beloved they have become old friends. Emma is one such book, having read and reread it since I was a teenager. When I was younger, it was my favorite of the three (now four) Austen novels I had read. My relationship to the characters and the story has changed with time, however, and having shortly reread Pride and Prejudice (my current favorite, in case you were wondering), I couldn't help but compare the two in my mind's eye. Emma Woodhouse and Elizabeth Bennet are nearly the same age, but Emma seems to me much the younger of the two. Indeed, I think one of the reasons I loved Emma as a teenager was because I could related to her youth and naivete when it came to individuals and their relationships to one another. Elizabeth is in some ways much more a woman of the world, while Emma is a little insulated from such things as class. In fact, the treatment of class in Emma struck me more than ever before, as one distinction between characters that governs how much intimacy one can have with another, something that cannot be ignored in terms of Harriet Smith especially, but other characters as well. While still present in Pride and Prejudice, class distinctions are not quite the same hurdle, or at least not so clearly affecting the heroines in their choice of friends. But one of the greatest joys of rereading is rediscovering elements of an old favorite to which I had paid little attention. Though no longer my favorite Austen, Emma still evokes a great deal of affection from me, and I'm sure I will reread it again with pleasure. 5 stars.

Oooh, I'll be looking for that one - Flashforward sounds very techno-geeky good! I'm reading another Sawyer at the moment, www:wake from 2009. It's about a tenth-grade girl who's been blind from birth, due to her brain's inability to translate the messages from her optic nerves. As often happens, her brain has co-opted the unused visual cortex area, resulting in a hypersensitivity in another of her senses - in this case, her facility with the Internet.

An experimental device is implanted that "translates" the retinal messages before they reach the brain, allowing her to develop some "sight" - but it's definitely not the world that the rest of us see! It's very good so far.

Great reviews! Flashforward sounds like something I would enjoy, I have added it to the wishlist. Glad you enjoyed Emma.

>muddy, thanks for the recommendation, I'll have to remember that one. I don't read a ton of science fiction, though my list so far this year would belie that claim. :-) But Sawyer's work seems really interesting.

>souloftherose, hope you enjoy Flashforward. I guess the TV show is loosely based on it, though I haven't seen any episodes myself. And I will probably always enjoy Emma even though I like Pride and Prejudice better. ;-)

I just wanted to say (kind of late), that I really enjoyed your review of Crime and Punishment. I was planning to read it, but I could not find my copy. I have to look some more, but it sounds like a terrific read!
--BJ

Thanks, BJ! That's very encouraging, because I had a bit of a review writer's block on that one. It's so long and layered that I didn't even know where to start, so I wrote about my experience reading it first and kind of flipped my regular review presentation (but I guess it's good practice to mix it up sometimes, right?). I look forward to reading your thoughts on it - you inspire me with how many classics you read in a year! How is Moby Dick coming along? (Speaking of titles that intimidate me...)

Moby Dick has been much easier to read than I thought it would be. We are taking a nice pace that lets us read lots of other things at the same time. I am enjoying it quite a bit. I am at the part where I have finally met the whale, although the ship has not found it yet. I have decided that I am going to root for the whale in this one. One part of it suddenly reminded me of Jaws, which I read in the 70s, so I am interested to see how they compare as the story progresses. I mostly remember the movie, though. (Jaws, I mean. I haven't seen the movie Moby Dick, although I want to.) It is one of my all-time favorite movies. I wonder if I will hear that music when the the ship and whale finally meet?
--BJ

When you watch the movie, will you watch the older version with Gregory Peck as Ahab or the made-for-TV version with Patrick Stewart? Both were good as both actors are first rate.

I only knew about the Gregory Peck movie. I had no idea that there was a newer version. I can see Patrick Stewart as Ahab. Maybe I will just watch whatever I come across first.
--BJ

There's an even older version with Erroll Flynn as Captain Ahab I caught one night on one of those movie classics channels. The thing I remember most about it was Captain Ahab dancing through the rigging like ... well, like Erroll Flynn.

It didn't have much to do with the book, but I remember it was entertaining in a vintage Hollywood kind of way.

** Edit: Oops! A check on IMDb tells me that it was actually John Barrymore who played the acrobatic captain. Date was 1930.

I used to be able to say I didn't watch many movies because usually the only ones I watch are based on books, but I see that you people on this site are determined to change that as well as add mountains upon mountains to my TBR pile. :-)

Even Die Hard was based on a book. :) For a change, I thought that movie was better than the book.

Three versions of Moby Dick! How is it I have never seen one?
--BJ

>90 billiejean: Die Hard was based on a book? Wow, you learn something new every day.
I don't remember if I saw 1 or 2 (or both?), but I remember not being very impressed...I'm just not an action movie kinda person...

Die Hard is actually my favorite movie. But I like action movies. All the best stunts came from the book. The book was a detective story, but more grim than the movie. I can't recall the name of the book, but I remember that I was able to check it out at the library and read it about 10 years ago. Hope you have a great weekend.
--BJ

11. The Ends of the Earth: An Anthology of the Finest Writing on the Arctic and Antarctic edited by Elizabeth Kolbert and Francis Spufford

Edited by Elizabeth Kolbert (the Arctic) and Francis Spufford (the Antarctic), this collection of fiction and nonfiction selections was published in 2007 to commemorate the fourth International Polar Year, which occurred from 2007 to March 2009. Knowing very little about Polar exploration myself, I found this a wonderful introduction to some well-known explorers as well as some perhaps less familiar scientists, writers, and explorers. Each half of the book was approximately 200 pages long, containing twenty selections on the Arctic and nineteen on the Antarctic, each including one selection by the editors themselves.

The selections covered a variety of subject matter, from wife-swapping to scientific exploration to reaching the Poles for the first time. The writings of the explorers interested me most, from Peary's description of his expedition to the North Pole to Scott's diary on his doomed return trip from the South Pole. As with any collection, the selections were a mixed bag with some that appealed to me more than others. My favorite Arctic selection was that of Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian who tried to get to the North Pole by drifting in his ship - his descriptions were lovely and evocative, almost making me want to travel to the Arctic myself, especially to see the Northern Lights. In the Antarctic, I loved the selection about penguins, written by Diane Ackerman. While I read the selections, I took note of those books I wanted to seek out in full, as well as keeping my computer nearby to look up what crampons and sastrugi look like. The infrequent typo distracted me from time to time, but overall this is a fascinating glimpse into the Polar regions that whet my appetite for more. 4 stars.

Nice review! Well earned thumbs up, and on the TBR pile it goes...

#93: I have got to get my hands on that one. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Mary!

Thanks, Jim and Stasia, I hope you both enjoy it!

12. Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman

Ashleigh is an Enthusiast, the personality type that jumps into an interest wholeheartedly, much to her best friend Julie's embarrassment. Now, Ash is into Jane Austen. She's not just reading the books, which would suit Julie just fine as Pride and Prejudice is her favorite book. No, Ashleigh wants to dance a quadrille, wearing dresses only, and - most importantly - finding True Love. Ashleigh's plan: to infiltrate the upcoming boys' school dance to meet their very own Mr. Darcys. And of course, she's going to drag Julie along.

This was a fun teen romance that could appeal to teen lovers of Austen as well as those who have never read the books (or seen the movies). While there were some nods to Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice that I picked up on, Julie and Ashleigh's story stands well on its own and doesn't need any prior familiarity with either to be enjoyed. I liked Julie as the narrator, and could relate to her love and loyalty towards Ashleigh as well as her exasperation with some of Ash's more drastic schemes. Julie's romantic troubles were believable, if somewhat predictable and quickly wrapped up, but it was a nice, quick light read that I would easily recommend. 4 stars.

#97: That one looks like a book my daughter Catey would like. I will pass along the recommendation. Thanks, Mary.

Sounds like a fun read! And we all need a bit of fluff from time to time. Think I'll add it to the pile... :-)

Stasia and Ellie - always glad to add to the piles. ;-)

It was a nice bit of fluff, that came in at a good time - I've been reading bits and pieces of Our Mutual Friend and Complete Stories by Dorothy Parker for the past few days, so needed something a little lighter to mix it up. (My new light read is Scones and Sensibility, which is a bit younger than Enthusiasm but also features a main character who loves Austen.)

February in review -

5. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
6. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
7. Blackout by Connie Willis
8. The Hunt for the Eye of Ogin by Patrick Doud
9. Flashforward by Robert Sawyer
10. Emma by Jane Austen (audio)
11. The Ends of the Earth edited by Elizabeth Kolbert and Patrick Spufford
12. Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman

Books read - 7
Audiobooks listened to - 1
Books abandoned - 1
Standouts - Blackout was the first book this year that had me reading compulsively and Crime and Punishment was a great thoughtful read

Phew! More than January, even with a shorter month. :-)

#101: More than January, even with a shorter month.

Congratulations Mary!

Thanks, Stasia! I'm still a bit behind my average for books a month (I just looked back at 2009 to confirm - I read 156 books for an average of 13 a month), but February's a short month and I've read some big books this year, so I'm not letting myself get down about it.

13. Scones and Sensibility by Lindsay Eland

If Anne Shirley and Emma Woodhouse combined decided that Diana Barry's Aunt Jo needed to get married, the result might be something like Polly Madassa in Scones and Sensibility. Twelve-year-old Polly, lover of Anne of Green Gables and Pride and Prejudice determines to right romantic wrongs for her older sister Clementine, whose boyfriend is so not right for her; her bosom friend's father; and her neighbor, Miss Whitaker. To Polly's dismay, the course to true love - or at least, the ones she imagines for everyone - does not run smoothly, as her family and friends do not have love lives like that of her favorite heroines.

Polly is a precocious character, which might be a turn off for some younger readers. She's twelve, but she's already read (and loves) Pride and Prejudice and has started mimicking the vocabulary of her favorite books. She's a little over-dramatic at times and pretty much has blinders on when it comes to reading situations and other people. But she is funny and endearing and - I have to say it - annoying, too. I think it may be because I'm an oldest child, but I really found myself relating to and sympathizing with Clemmy much more than I did Polly, who feels left behind now that her older sister is dating and not spending as much time with her as she used to. A cute read, though, that I would recommend to older elementary kids who enjoyed Anne of Green Gables. 3.5 stars.

#103: My philosophy on reading is this: if you only read 1 book a month (make sure it is a good one!), in a year you will have read 12, which is 12 more than if you had not read any. Go figure that one out, lol.

Hi Stasia! Your philosophy sounds very sensible. Twelve books a year would certainly be better than none.

Trouble is, I'm so used to a decent amount of free time for reading and shorter books, like children's or teen fiction, that I get antsy if I haven't finished a book in a week or so, even if I know it's because I'm reading a big classic. I just have to learn to pace myself for adult books, I guess. :-)

I cannot dedicate myself to just one book at a time. I generally have anywhere between 15-20 going on at any given time. I do not think I could stand just reading the same book for a week :)

oh goodness, no, I can't dedicate myself to one book at a time. I currently have four books and 1 audiobook in various states of being read (barely started, halfway there, etc.). I think 3-5 is probably about what I average reading at one time, because I never know what kind of mood I'm going to be in or how much time I'm going to have, and I need to have a book ready for anything. :-) Though I think I'd start to lose track if I were reading 7+ books at once.

Reading classics mean I take longer finishing other books because I start to get to the point where I tell myself, "OK, after 50 pages of this book, you can read the quicker one..."

I am constantly juggling books. I finished one today that I had been reading since the end of January. The problem with reading that one on a consistent basis is that I have in on my Kindle-for-PC application and when I am at work, the book was at home on my computer, lol.

I usually have maybe three or four on the go too. A nice number, that - a book for any mood, time and place, but not too many to follow so that I lose the plot. If I leave a book hanging for too long I start to lose interest and have to really get stuck in to get back into it. At the moment it's The Count of Monte Cristo for longer spells and quiet moments, a book of little foodie vignettes for busy moments and sleepy times, poetry for anytime I feel like dipping in (not very often right now) and fluff to fit neatly over my two days off. Even after a week of no Dumas (first I've gotten hooked on FanFiction online again, and then hurt my neck so holding up a brick of a novel isn't very appealing right now!) I can feel the threads of interest and plot starting to drop a bit - I'll have to settle in one night and kickstart it again...

That's true, Stasia, sometimes where I am impacts what I can read at any given moment. I usually bring books to work that I can read on break - which means I might choose a collection of short stories or letters over the book that I really really really want to read because it will be that much harder to put down when my break is over.

Ellie, three or four seems to be the "magic book number" for me, too. It nicely balances out a few different types of stories to suit every mood. How is The Count of Monte Cristo? My cousin really highly recommended it to me, so it's on my radar as a book I want to read sometime this year. Hope your neck feels better soon!

14. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

In 2054 Oxford, time travel is one of the ways in which historians study their field. Kivrin, studying medieval history, is preparing for a jump to 1320 to observe the village of Skendgate during the Christmas season. While Kivrin has to deal with speaking Middle English, the threat of cutthroats, and lack of modern medicine, those in Oxford fare little better when a tech comes down with a virus and the area must be put under quarantine. Those she leaves behind, particularly her mentor, Mr. Dunworthy, grow increasingly anxious as they are helpless to open the "net" to allow her return.

The two threads of this story - Mr. Dunworthy in Oxford and Kivrin in the Middle Ages - are well-balanced, trading off every few chapters and keeping just the right amount of tension and switching back just when I thought, "But what's happening to the others?" I liked Kivrin and Mr. Dunworthy, but I especially liked a couple of the secondary characters, Father Roche and Colin. Father Roche, the medieval priest of the village where Kivrin stays, was a really wonderful character. Colin was funny, bringing some much-needed humor when events became dire, yet completely believable as a twelve-year-old boy. I'm only sorry that I put off reading it so long. 4.5 stars.

#112: Mary, there is a series with the Time Travelling Oxfordians (?). I do not know whether you realize it or not. I did not know until I found out about Willis' newest book, Blackout. I just mention it in case you are interested in reading the other books in the series.

Doomsday Book sounds good... I'm to sleepy to put it on Mount TBR yet (my neck's been seizing up each night, leaving me in excruciating pain and unable to sleep - don't think my brain's working v. well) but I shall allow it to float around in my Book-dar (like Gaydar but for, well, books) for the time being!
OK, that last bit sounded a bit mad even to me. :-S

ETA: Just remembered my main reason for commenting, which naturally I had completely forgotten. The Count of Monte Cristo - yes, you should read it. Well, so far so good anyway. Just do yourself a favour and get a good translation - I have the Penguin Classics edition and it's brilliant, very accessible and crystal clear, whereas I was originally going to read it in a beautiful two-volume edition but nearly had to throw it across the room, it was so painfully translated...

>113 alcottacre: Stasia, yes, it's the same "world" in Blackout and To Say Nothing of the Dog. The latter was the first one I read at my co-worker's recommendation. Have you read it? It's rather different from the other two, still good but very funny. I read it a couple of years ago and put off reading Doomsday Book for too long because I was afraid it would be too different/sad.

>Ellie, you should definitely keep Doomsday Book on your book-dar 'til you can get in on your TBR list. :-) I hope your neck feels better soon so you can sleep. :-( (And read big books.) I just looked at my library's copy of The Count of Monte Cristo - it's the Modern Library edition and a walloping 1162 pages. Eek! Not sure I can do that for a few months yet...

#115: I have not read To Say Nothing of the Dog yet, although I do own it. I just have to find where I put it. I have both Blackout and its follow up on order from Amazon, but I am not reading Blackout until the other book is out.

>116 alcottacre:, That makes you a smarter reader than me. ;-) I didn't know it was the first half of the story when I put a hold on Blackout, so I'm stuck waiting 'til fall for All Clear. I do really want to go back and reread To Say Nothing of the Dog now, though... Oh, and if you haven't read it, though it's not in the same series at all, Bellwether was a good read too - it's a bit old for science fiction so some things sound...odd...but it's a funny read about this woman who's researching trends and what makes something a fad. My mom and I both enjoyed that one.

Edited to fix a touchstone.

I own Bellwether too, but I do not know where it is either. I really have got to spend some time in my library getting it organized!

Don't sweat it, I have fewer books than you and still have to double-shelve and stack books on the floor. They're in order (well, my order, which means the nonfiction is inexplicable to everyone else, but makes sense to me). Some of them are just hard to get to...
:-)

The primary problem is just lack of shelving space. The floor is covered with unshelved books in my library, unfortunately.

>115 bell7: - No let up yet, alas. Three nights so far of less than three hours sleep, plus the busy 'sunny weekend' days at work... *yawns hideously* My mum's made me a neck brace thingy with some stiff newspaper and a triangular bandage, and I must say it is a very stylish accessory for the workplace...

The Count of Monte Cristo is definitely a biggie, but it's so easy to read that I don't think it'll end up being a lengthy one time-wise - once I get back to it, that is... Oh crumbs, about eight billion people have just poured in through the shop door, gotta go!

15. Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

When Finnikin was a boy, he was friends with the prince, Balthazar, and his cousin, Lucian. They pledge to protect their country, but shortly thereafter Lumatere is attacked, the royal family killed, and many of the people forced into exile. Several years later, an older Finnikin travels many lands collecting the stories of exiles. Called by a messenger, he travels to a convent to pick up a girl, Evanjalin, who walks in the dreams of others and carries hope that Finnikin had long given up believing in.

This story focusing on the plight of exiles is a compelling one, and Finnikin and Evanjalin are really fun characters to spend time with. I especially enjoyed getting to know Evanjalin, who had a strong presence and complex character. I sometimes felt like the story went by too quickly, a bonus when it meant I was reading fast and she packs a lot of plot into one story, but a little negative when I wished for perhaps a slower relationship development between two travelers, for example. Part of it, of course, is that Jellicoe Road is just an incredibly difficult act to follow, and if I had not read it, I would definitely have rated this higher. 4 stars.

Ohh that is the first review of Finnikin of the Rock that I've read, and I'm glad it's fairly positive. Melina is one of my favorite authors, and I very nearly bought this book the other day, on account of it being so pretty. I might be repeating what others have asked already, but have you read any of her other books?

#122: I read Jellicoe Road last year and loved it. I will definitely be looking for Finnikin of the Rock. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Mary.

Hi Steph, the only other book I read by her was Jellicoe Road, which I absolutely loved, and I'm definitely planning on reading more of her books. Glancing at the reviews page for Finnikin of the Rock, I seem to be in the minority for preferring Jellicoe Road, but I guess I can't help that. Though it's definitely a compelling story - I had about 4 pages left last night when I had to leave to go somewhere, so I brought it along to finish it.

Hope you enjoy it, Stasia! Have you read any of her other books that you would recommend? My library owns doesn't own any other titles, so I'll have to get one or two on interlibrary loan...

#125: I have not read anything else by her and Jellicoe Road is the only one of hers my local library has.

16. Secret to Lying by Todd Mitchell
*Read for the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program*

James is tired of being a nobody, the kid everyone overlooks because he's just plain average. He jumps at the chance to attend a public boarding school for gifted kids, where he reinvents himself as a rebel. He's got it made now - purple hair, ripped jeans, and a few lies have given him a reputation. But his dreams suggest that more is going on beneath the surface than even James realizes.

Todd Mitchell's first book for teens explores the common theme of identity in an inventive way. James' dreams reflect what he's doing to his self, and you see that acting one way and being another really affects his psyche deeply. I actually thought the dream sequences were the weakest part of the story, preferring the interactions with friends, teachers, and the IMs with "ghost44." Mitchell does a good job of discussing teen issues, like cutting, without ever making them the focal point of the story. The focus instead is all on James - who is he, and who will he choose to be? Moments of humor also keep this from being a heavy read; one of my favorite parts was his description of the gifted school's cheers as using words that the opposing team needed dictionaries to understand. I'll definitely be on the lookout for more books by this author. 4.5 stars.

#127: Already in the BlackHole!

Adding it to mine...

Thanks guys...I mean, gals (Sorry, native New Englander here, can you tell?) - now I kinda feel bad for not mentioning this before, but it's not officially published 'til June.

I call eveyone guys, too. I am originally from PA.

Every now and then I say "y'all" - and get teased like crazy for it. I picked it up because when I was younger I read from a series set in the south a lot and it started impacting my language. It's weird but true that books I read affect how I talk.

I have lived in Texas almost 36 years now and still do not use "y'all." I just never got in the habit.

Hi Mary, continuing the Melina Marchetta conversation... you should definitely check out Saving Francesca; it's one of my all-time favorites. Lovely book!

Thanks for the recommendation, Steph. I'll definitely look into it!

17. The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers

In 1802, Doctor Romany and Amenophis Fikee perform an incantation at the behest of their master, an incantation that should allow Anubis to come forth and sorcery to rule the world. In 1983, Brendan Doyle receives a summons from a rich old man who wants to travel to 1810 to observe Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and wants Doyle to lecture his fellow travelers before they set off.

Powers weaves a deft, complicated tale in which both of those apparently divergent tales have much to do with one another. Filled with eccentric characters and the danger of the London streets, the many threads of this story come together in sometimes surprising ways with breakneck pace. I wish there had been a little more character development and a little less blood, but overall it was a fun ride. 3.5 stars.

>130 bell7: - Not published until June, but readily available for wishlisting... ;-)

>Ellie, you betcha. ;-) That book made me feel like such a nerd...in a good way. haha. Looking forward to seeing what you think of it.

18. Spellwright by Blake Charlton

Nicodemus Weal is a cacographer, the magical equivalent of dyslexia, which makes him misspell magic texts and shortchanges his spellcasting ability. An unknown enemy is searching for a powerful cacographer, and Nicodemus is in grave danger, even while the master that would protect him, Magister Agwu Shannon, is under suspicion of murder.

This fantasy is an excellent blend of old and new. I loved the inventiveness of magic itself - and gargoyles, constructs, and the like - being built out of text. This gave rise to numerous plays on words and new meanings for such things as "authors" and "grammarians" that were really fun to discover. At the same time, the use of magic, prophecy, and battle of good and evil put this well within the traditional genre. Though given to long, conversational exposition and a long ending that seemed more to set up the next book than wrap up loose ends, this debut shows a lot of talent, and I look forward to reading the next in the series. 4 stars.

#139 I've been interested in this one since reading about it on Gail Carriger's blog (author of Soulless who's friends with Blake Charlton). Glad to know it's a good read, guess I'll just have to wait a few months to read it!

Spellwright sounds like one to keep an eye out for. Thanks!

#139: Added to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Mary!

What's the significance of being from New England in calling other women "guys"? I call everyone "guys" too. It just doesn't seem like there's an equivalent in feminine terms (e.g., I don't call anybody over 18 "girls" and "gals" sounds too casual--like cowgirls).

140-142 - hope you all enjoy it!

143 - Bonnie, I think people could be from outside of New England and call a group "guys" or "you guys." There was an exercise I did in an intro to linguistics class that was meant to pin down your regional "accent" by what terms you'd use - like "you guys" or "y'all" for a group of people - and I think (but might have forgotten if it was a larger region, and am certainly no expert) that "you guys" was the typical New England term. But it's certainly not hard-and-fast - I say "y'all" just as much, but I'm not from the area of the country that usually does.

OK, thanks, didn't know that. I was just reading a book about the Bastardization of the English language--obviously not the right title as the Touchstones aren't loading--in which the author was talking about the problems of "you" in English representing both the singular and the plural.

Was the book Righting the Mother Tongue? I know the author gave some space to the issue in that book, which I greatly enjoyed...

>145 bonniebooks: Bonnie, I kind of feel like I should preface my remarks with IANAL (I am not a linguist...) tho I always enjoy reading books about language. Personally I think regional breakdowns work better on the soda/pop/coke or the sub/grinder/hoagie discussions. :-)

>146 dk_phoenix:...ooh, that looks interesting. And it might fit into my Dewey Decimal challenge nicely, let's see...yep, I have a spot open in 421. Thanks, dk_phoenix!

Both Spellwright and Righting the Mother Tongue added to the TBR list. Sounds very good and perhaps the latter can teach me something about English. Would love to understand the language better.

#145 FWIW, where I originally come from in the North-East of England, we distinguish between you singular and plural by using 'you' for the singular and 'yous' or 'yous lot' for the plural (i.e. "What are yous / yous lot doing tonight?") I always found this to be a very helpful way of avoiding ambiguity... except that I now live in New Jersey where it's not proving to be quite so helpful ;)

>148 FrkFrigg: FrkFrigg - hope you enjoy them!

>149 verdelambton: verdelambton - oh...I hadn't really thought about that for the use of "yous," but that makes sense. Huh. Regional differences in language always interest me....it's funny how I don't even think about it so much until I visit an area of the country that doesn't use, say, "wicked" in the same way I would (it's the adverbial equivalent of "very").

19. The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry (audio)

The Willoughbys are an old-fashioned family, with a mom, dad, and four children: Tim, the oldest who's bossy (but, the narrator assures us, he has a heart of gold), the twins Barnaby A and Barnaby B, and the youngest, Jane. A baby shows up on their doorstep, as it would in any good old-fashioned tale - but this family won't have any of it, and Tim decides that they will drop the baby off for someone else. This is just one of the many spoofs on the common tropes of older (and some newer) children's stories.

This is a very odd little book. I've heard it compared to Lemony Snicket's series, and I think the comparison is apt for the sort of tongue-in-cheek narrator that nearly becomes another character. I felt very distanced from the story because of this device, and perhaps partly because I listened to the audiobook and the narrator created that much more distance. In any case, though I thought it was clever and sometimes funny, I never really cared about the story or the characters that much. Recommended if you enjoy spoofs or parodies of old stories - some referenced here include Anne of Green Gables and Mary Poppins, and in case you miss any, there's a bibliography at the end. 3 stars.

#151: Linda (Whisper) and David (Tapestry) have both read this one recently and so I picked up a copy at the library to read. It will be interesting to see how my feelings about it compare with everyone else's.

I read The Willoughbys last year. Having spent a lot of time over the year reading children's chapter books out loud to my 5 year old, including Mary Poppins (the world's most famous nanny), The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton (Alpha male boy with definite Beta male younger brother who believes his female cousin and younger sister need protecting owing to their unfortunate position of being mere girls), Roald Dahl books (nasty adults who don't care about children), The Mysterious Benedict Society (orphans), The Secret Garden (more orphans) and The Boxcar Children series (yet more orphans), I couldn't stop laughing throughout this book. At some points I seem to recall I had tears in my eyes and couldn't read the funny bits out loud to my husband for laughing so much. I didn't think the story was particularly good but Tim's constant bossing around of the other kids and making rules to games up as he went along, together with the poor old twins sharing their sweater had me rolling around with laughter - then again, I'll admit, I am quite easily amused ;)

Stasia - with so many people reading it, it will be interesting to see what you thought compared to the rest of us. I may be in the minority that I thought it was OK, but didn't love it.

verdelambton, it did make me laugh but I never really got into the story, and couldn't really care about the characters (I'm very much a character reader) because they were such caricatures. Oh well. Not one for me, but one I know to recommend to the right reader.

#154: Like I always say, 'Not every book is for every body.' I am in the minority quite a few times on books, most recently on Doctorow's Homer and Langley. I just try not to worry about it too much - try being the operative word :)

#154 I'm fairly certain that the book only appealed to me quite as much as it did because I'd been reading so many of these types of stories beforehand - that and the fact that I seem to recall I read it one Friday or Saturday evening and so had probably had a few glasses of Cabernet Sauvignon, which always helps ;-)

I would heartily second what Stasia says about never worrying about not enjoying a book, no matter what other people think of it. I personally cannot abide Jane Eyre, Sense and Sensibility or Wuthering Heights and don't care who knows it (Linda runs and ducks for cover!)

Thanks, Stasia and Linda. :-) For me, it's generally a reaction of sheepishness than actually feeling too bad. As in, it seems like an awful lot gushing and here I am saying "meh...it was OK." But everyone's personal reactions are what makes reading fun - if we all thought and read and reacted exactly the same, it wouldn't be much fun talking about books when we all had the same thing to say, too. Hey Linda, it's fine with me if you don't like those books, I'll just read 'em for you (though personally I like Pride and Prejudice more than Sense and Sensibility).

20. The Postmistress by Sarah Blake

In Franklin, Massachusetts in 1940, Iris James is the postmaster in town, and takes pride in keeping order in her domain. Emma is the wife of the young town doctor, a woman who has already survived tragedy. They both hear the radio broadcasts of Frankie Bard, an American reporter covering the war live in London. This is a historical novel that's not about war, but about individuals and lives and stories that only get partly told.

The story and characters are compelling; the writing moves along quickly as you learn about each character and his or her struggles and want to know what happens to each of them. I didn't like the hopeless point of view that some of the characters espouse, but couldn't imagine their experiences leaving them any other way. 4 stars.

#158: I already have that one in the BlackHole. It looks like my library finally got a copy. I have put it on hold.

Stasia, hope it doesn't take too long for it to come in for you! My library system has about 70 holds on all the copies in Western Mass.

#160: It looks like I am number one in line for it, so hopefully it will not be too long. I have no idea how long the 'in processing' part takes though.

21. Fifteen by Beverly Cleary

Jane Purdy is just your normal, everyday teen growing up in the 1950s. She has babysitting jobs that she trades off sometimes with her best friend, Julie. She is not one of the popular crowd, like Marcy who has a ton of cashmere sweaters (Jane just has one), nor part of the intellectual crowd. But despite all this, she meets a boy while she is babysitting a holy terror, otherwise known as Sandra, and he's interested in her! Now if only her parents will let her go to the movies with him...

The more things change, the more things stay the same. That's what kept coming to mind as I read. Sure, the details change - I didn't wear a peasant blouse with my dirndl skirt or put my hair up in pin curls (alright, I had to look up what the latter was). I didn't worry about my mom not wearing stockings. But some of the same old teenage worries are there: Will my parents embarrass me? Will a boy like me? When I was younger, I read more of the Ramona books than Beverly Cleary's other books, and this had a similar feel of the earnest feelings of an eight- (or fifteen-) year-old. It was an odd experience being so much older than the protagonist, and I'm afraid I laughed at Jane much more than I ever laughed at Ramona. Though I wouldn't have read this at fifteen, it was a sort of nostalgic, wholesome, old-fashioned look at being the age, and I could relate Jane to my own teenage years. 4 stars.

22. Soulless by Gail Carriger

When Miss Alexia Tarabotti took refuge in the library during a dinner party, she did not expect to meet a vampire. He attacks her without provocation and does not know that she was a preternatural, thus ending up dead when she attempted to protect herself. Yes, Miss Tarabotti is soulless, one of those individuals who negate the supernatural abilities of vampires and werewolves, though don't tell her mother, or she'll have a fit. The dead vampire is only the beginning, however, as Miss Tarabotti and Lord Maccon, the werewolf Alpha leading investigations for BUR, discover when they begin to look into the mystery.

This story does not fit neatly into one genre. With vampires and werewolves, it's definitely fantasy, with a smattering of paranormal romance and steampunk. The writing fit the story perfectly, narrating with a humorous tone and a slightly old-fashioned tinge that conveys the 19th century period in which the book is set. I would recommend it to fans of the vampire/werewolf genre and to readers just looking for something out of the ordinary who wouldn't mind all the genre mixing. I'm really looking forward to the next one! 4.5 stars.

I've added The Postmistress to my list.

Finally catching up on your thread. I remember reading Fifteen when I was young. I always loved Beverly Cleary. I added Enthusiasm to my wishlist. My daughter would love that book, I think. And by the way, I love the word "y'all." It is not used as much in Oklahoma as it was in Texas, but I still say it. It seems like such a happy word to me for some reason.

Thanks for all the great reviews. Have a great day!
--BJ

Happy Birthday, Mary!

Happy Birthday!
--BJ

>164 tymfos: tymfos, hope you enjoy it!

>165 billiejean:, Hi there, BJ! I'm glad you stopped by to catch up. I did enjoy Fifteen, and I hope you enjoy Enthusiasm.

>Stasia and BJ - thanks for the birthday wishes! :-)

23. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Gen, a thief in Sounis, brags that he can steal anything, a boast that lands him a bet to steal the king's signet ring. He does so, only to show it off in the wine shop to prove it, and lands in the king's jail. The king's magus comes to Gen with a proposition: steal something for me, and I'll set you free; fail to steal it, and you die.

This is one of my all-time favorite books. When I first read it about four years ago or so, I remember stopping every so often to look at how many pages left thinking, "What is this author doing? There are so many pages left, what on earth can happen?" Of course, as I kept reading, I realized how brilliantly Megan Whalen Turner had been spinning her story, surprising me while absolutely convincing me that she knew exactly what she was doing. Two rereads later, and the story has not lost its charm. Gen is a great character, and I love following his narrative and being in his head even when I remembered most of the story. The world-building of a whole pantheon, mythology, and politics of three countries, is just about perfect. This first book in the series, followed by Queen of Attolia and King of Attolia, is by far my favorite of the series, but I highly recommend them all. 5 stars.

PS - I'm rereading the series as prep for the fourth book coming out, Conspiracy of Kings. (I'm waiting impatiently for that one to come in at the library...but I may just cave and buy it with my birthday money this weekend...)

#169: I have read all three books too and really enjoyed the series, but I think I like the first book the best. I will have to look for Conspiracy of Kings. When does it come out, do you know?

I believe it came out on March 23, but my library doesn't have a copy yet. I've had it on hold pretty much since the record was in the catalog available for putting holds on. :-) But yeah, The Thief is my favorite - the other books are great, too, but I really missed Gen as a narrator, and felt more distance from the character as a result.

#171: I just checked and my local library does not have it listed yet, not even 'in processing', so it may be a while before I get to read CoK. I think I will re-read the others as you are doing - once I know for sure that my local library is going to get the 4th book.

I've just done a massive catch-up on your thread! To give you a sense of how far behind I was, I've just resolved that I really must read The Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog sooner rather than later, because I've heard so many good things about them.

Also, great timing on Soulless! The sequel is coming out in less than a week now (can you tell I'm looking forward to it?).

>173 _Zoe_: Zoe, I'm sure not keeping up on everyone's threads, so kudos to you on all that catch-up work. :-) I hope you enjoy Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog. Thanks for the heads up on the sequel to Soulless, I didn't realize it was so close to the release. I just checked out my library website, and I can put a hold on Changeless. Excellent!

>172 alcottacre: Stasia, hope you will be able to get to Conspiracy of Kings. My library doesn't have it yet either, though I know our teen librarian purchased it. I really hope we get it soon...

...and now I'd better get back to my reread of The Queen of Attolia. I think I can finish it tonight if I keep from getting distracted.

24. Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

The Queen of Attolia catches Eugenides sneaking around her palace. Eddis sends her people to negotiate, but the situation does not look good for the Queen's Thief - until Attolia decides to invoke an older rule in which thieves were not hung, but lost their right hand. How can Eugenides continue in his role one-handed?

Once again, this story reads beautifully whether the first time or as a reread, where I catch small hints here and there that I passed over the first time reading. Though I'm a little sad that this book does not have Eugenides' first-person narrative, I will (albeit grudgingly) admit that the story would not work as well without the distance created by this method. On the other hand, this story is incredibly satisfying and, despite the fact that this is my third time reading it, I still had trouble putting it down. 5 stars.

Oh, and I did end up finishing it at about 12:30 this morning. Like I said, just couldn't put it down...now on to The King of Attolia.

Oooooh, I've never even heard of the Queen's Thief series. I just checked my library catalog to see if they have the first one because reading these messages has made me so excited about the prospect of reading the whole series (third time reading this book / 5 stars / finished at 12.30 in the morning!) Interestingly, the first one in the series is in the Children's Collection but the others are under Young Adult fiction.

Well, I hope you find the books as enjoyable as I do. I hope I didn't raise your hopes too high. :-) That's interesting that your library puts The Thief in children's - mine has all of them in the young adult section, and best I can figure, Gen is about 15 in the first one.

Oh, and I guess I should warn everyone that book three will of course have spoilers for the others, so if you haven't read the first two books, you may want to skip the next message.

25. The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

Costis, a member of the Queen's Guard, expects to lose his life because he has punched the King in the face. Everyone knows he's just a swindler from Eddis who stole their queen, but obviously, even if you hate your sovereign hitting him is dangerous business. But Eugenides doesn't kill Costis; he promotes him. The new lieutenant instead sees the King at his finest - half asleep during the morning sessions, bored during lessons on history and languages, practicing sword drills in first position. This is the King of Attolia?

Because the story is told primarily from Costis' perspective, we are that much more distanced from Eugenides, though his personality still comes out, especially when he speaks with his cousins or Attolia. Though I like this book least of the three I have read, I appreciate it in rereading in ways I did not before. The King of Attolia is more about political maneuvering than the others have been, and more about Eugenides becoming a true king than about the action. Though it can drag in parts, I did read it in a day, so I can hardly be too critical on that front.

Just discovered your thread. Every weekend I check out a couple I have not read to see if I can find someone with similar reading habits and tastes, and I can see I've hit the jackpot here! I'm a big Fforde, Austen, Tim Powers and Willis fan, I've got the Attolia trio lined up on my TBR shelf, and I'm adding Scones and Sensibility and Enthusiasm to my wishlist. The Willoughbys is already there.

Hi Roni, thanks for stopping by! Taking a look at your profile, it looks like we certainly do overlap quite a bit in our reading interests. It looks like you've read quite a bit of Patricia McKillip, and I've been meaning to try her books for awhile (I own The book of Atrix Wolfe but it remains on my TBR shelf) - what are some you would recommend to start with? I hope you enjoy the Attolia/Queen's Thief series! I believe the author is planning on writing six books total, and the fourth is just out.

I'd suggest Od Magic as a good place to start for McKillip. It's fairly recent but gives a good feel for her style without being one of her darker ones.

BTW, forgot to mention I also was pulled in by the 75ers to read Soulless, and have the second on order. Light but fun, I agree.

Hope you'll visit my thread too.

Roni, I did star your thread, so I will be following your reads even if I don't comment right away. :)

Thanks for the rec on Od Magic, it looks good and I've added it to the ever-growing TBR list.

Just wanted to mention that I am adding the Megan Whalen Turner books to my wishlist. Your reviews make them sound totally wonderful. I wonder if my daughter has read them? I will have to call her and ask.
--BJ

Always glad to add such great books to someone's TBR list, BJ. :-) Now, I just hope I'm not raising everyone's expectations too high...

I tried to buy Conspiracy of Kings yesterday, but sadly, Borders did not have any but the first of the series in stock (and I own that own already). :::sigh::: Guess I'll have to look into the new/used paperback bookstore near my house. I bet they'll order the book(s) I want and I won't have to drive a half hour to get there... So, I used my birthday money to buy a book light instead, one that i can fit behind the page to read in the car during road trips - no more thinking, oh no there's not enough light to read, what am I going to do til we get there? :-)

26. This Book is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All by Marilyn Johnson

So many people subscribe to the notion that libraries are falling by the wayside. Who needs books, they argue, when just about anything can be found on the Internet now? Marilyn Johnson explores ways in which libraries are not only continuing to be relevant in a wired world, but using technology to promote and extend library services. Just a handful of the topics covered include blogging, Second Life, and archives.

I expected this to be a book for librarians, written by a librarian, but that first impression had to be revised in numerous ways. Marilyn Johnson is not a librarian, but got the idea for this book when she was writing about obituaries and some of the more interesting ones she came across were the obits of librarians. Furthermore, the book is broad in scope, and reads more like a series of vignettes than an in-depth look at any one issue. My only real disappointment was that she spends a lot of time talking about the New York City libraries, and personally I am more interested in and find more relevant how small-town libraries with smaller budgets and fewer connections would serve their public. Many librarians have probably heard of most of the technologies, issues, and ideas that she covers. Does that mean that librarians won't like the book? No, but I do see this book as perhaps being more helpful for folks who are thinking of going for a master's in library science - in fact, I learned about much of these topics in my M.L.I.S. program - or to suggest to those folks who think librarians are still in the shushing business. 4 stars.

#185: I have that one on hold at the local library now. I am just waiting to get my hands on it.

Hope you enjoy it, Stasia! I think I would have liked it better if I read it pre-library school, but since I already knew about a lot of what she covered, it didn't live up to its subtitle (at least for me).

27. A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

For the previous books in the series, this is a **spoiler warning**

Last we heard of Sophos, Eugenides receives intelligence that a group of rebels captured the heir of Sounis, and no one is sure whether he is alive or dead. In this story, readers get to learn Sophos' story, primarily told by him as narrator, when he is captured while in exile and sneaked off the island disguised as a slave.

Faithful readers of the series probably remember Sophos as the young blusher, looking up to Ambiades and the Magus during their adventure in The Thief. Even while staying true to his character - and keeping readers on their toes by shifting to his perspective believably - we now get to see him grow into a man and king. Because his story is so different from the rest, I feel like I have to reread this to really decide how much I like it in terms of the rest of the series. My first read is so full of anticipation and hurry hurry hurry, I need to know what happens, that I read the book over two days, taking a total of about four hours. But since it's not even a question that I'd consider rereading it, for now I'm giving it 4.5 stars.

Edited to correct spelling.

I added that one to the wishlist as well. Is this the final book, or will the series continue?
--BJ

BJ - I think I read (but of course I can't remember where now...) that the author was planning to continue this series to six books - so two more to come, I believe.

Added The Thief to my TBR pile as well...thanks!

>191 willowsmom: willowsmom, you're welcome, I hope you enjoy it!

March in review -

13. Scones and Sensibility by Lindsay Eland
14. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
15. Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
16. The Secret to Lying by Todd Mitchell
17. The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers
18. Spellwright by Blake Charlton
19. The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry (audio)
20. The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
21. Fifteen by Beverly Cleary
22. Soulless by Gail Carriger
23. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
24. The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
25. The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
26. This Book is Overdue by Marilyn Johnson
27. A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

Books read - 14
Audiobooks listened to - 1
Graphic novels/manga/comics - 2
Books abandoned - 6 (!) - yup, I counted twice to be sure
Standouts - ooh, I read so many good books it's hard to choose, but Doomsday Book, Secret to Lying, and Soulless were all really good

Oh, and I guess I've been lax about reviewing the comic books I've read this year. This month I finished the currently published Unshelved comics - Frequently Asked Questions and Reader's Advisory - I love these comics set in a library, they're so true to life it's scary

I read and enjoyed Fifteen when I was about 12 - I think even by the early 80s it was quite dated, but lovely.

Hi elkiedee, thanks for stopping by! Fifteen was a cute, sweet story. I may have liked it better when I was younger than now - I definitely laughed at Jane much more than my eight- and nine-year-old self ever laughed at Ramona, but I did enjoy it.

28. Native Guard by Natasha Trethewey
Read for National Poetry Month and TIOLI (book by a living poet)

This Pulitzer Prize-winning poetry collection by Natasha Trethewey contains twenty-six poems divided into three sections. Each section's content is linked thematically as the poet examines her grief over her mother's death, the history of the eponymous "Native Guard," and growing up of mixed race in the South. The themes sound disparate, but are truly linked, often by the repetition of a thought or phrase, so that the collection as a whole flows together unmistakeably. Indeed, though I sometimes paused to linger on a single poem, I more often found myself wanting to go on before I lost the connecting thread.

I do not read much poetry; after reading Native Guard, I have determined that I do not read enough poetry. Each poem reads simply - by which I do not mean that it is easy, but that I do not have to attack it with a sledgehammer to determine its meaning - contains strong emotion, and begs to be read aloud and savored. Though I find it hard in such a well-seamed collection to pick out one or two pieces as favorites, I often turned back to the first poem, "Theories of Time and Space," and had to stop reading to hold back tears when I came to "Graveyard Blues." This will definitely be one of my most memorable reads of the year. 5 stars.

Wow! The book sounds terrific. Unfortunately for me, I am not a poetry reader.

You do make poetry sound tempting!

Neva mind. Should have finished thread :

Stasia and Bonnie, I'm not really much of a poetry reader. I try to read one book of poetry for National Poetry Month, and that's generally it. But I really liked Native Guard, and it made me want to try more. I'm always a little afraid of poetry on the whole, however, that it's going to be dense and somehow beyond me as a reader.

>199 PamFamilyLibrary: ??? I am so confused! :-)

#200: 199 ??? I am so confused! :-)

I think Pam was too!

I think you're right, Stasia.
Sorry if I confused you, Pam! Hope things are going well.

29. The Affinity Bridge by George Mann
Category: 8-9-10 (pub. 2009)

A "glowing policeman," perhaps a ghost, kills in Whitechapel, baffling police - an airship crashes and kills all passengers, apparently with no explanation - revenants prowling the streets pass on the plague that infects them, making the foggy streets of London dangerous. Sir Maurice Newbury, in the service of Queen Victoria herself, is on these cases, tackling them with the help of his assistant, Miss Veronica Hobbes, and his good friend the police commissioner, Sir Charles Bainbridge.

This is my latest read in the exploration of the Steampunk genre, and I can see how its alternate technology and Victorian setting fit into the parameters. I had trouble getting into the story at the beginning, but I'm glad I persevered. I think it was more me than the actual story, because the pacing built well over the course of the story, until it was strumming along at the end when I just had to keep going and find out how everything fit together. Newbury and Miss Hobbes are interesting characters, and I enjoyed their conversations and growing respect for one another. I would certainly consider reading more of their adventures. 4 stars.

I am about 1/3 of the way through the book myself, and I like it, too. Plus, now I have my girls wanting to check out steampunk for themselves. I have been reading more SFF because that is what they like to read. So I am happy to encourage them to read something different. :)
--BJ

#203: I am glad you liked it, Mary. Whew!

Just added the Queen's Thief Series to my TBR list. It sounds really great! Can't wait to read it.

Also added This Book is Overdue! It doesn't sound like it will reveal anything new to me (I'm studying library and information science), but it sounds like a nice read and there might be something.. You never know :)

BJ, glad you're enjoying it. I'm usually a fantasy reader myself, so the number of science fiction I've read so far this year is kind of surprising me.

Stasia, I did enjoy it more and more as I kept going (and thought the ending was great). To be honest, the not being able to get into it at the beginning was mostly because my brain was on the series I had been reading, and I would have done that with any book.

Tanja, hope you enjoy them all! I think I would have liked This Book is Overdue better while I was in library school or before, so I hope you find it interesting.

#207: the number of science fiction I've read so far this year is kind of surprising me.

One thing I can say for LT, it has expanded my reading horizons tremendously. It sounds like LT is doing the same thing for you.

30. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

Nimira is a "trouser girl," who sings and dances to make her living, not that it's much of one. During one of her performances, a gentleman notices her and speaks to her. Hollin Perry, a sorcerer, offers her a job singing along with an automaton who plays the piano; the girls he has hired before left believing it was haunted. Indeed, the first time Nimira winds up the automaton, it/he begins moaning, apparently trying to communicate. Could it really be haunted, and if so, what is Nimira to do?

Once I really started reading this book, I finished it in nearly one sitting. Nim is a well-drawn character, a dark girl and an immigrant in a land that doesn't think highly of her people, but she is determined to make her way here. Unfortunately, I only got a sense of connection with her as a character and not any of the others, though that may be partially because she narrates it in first person. There are hints of a broader world, such as politics between sorcerers and fairies that were enough to tantalize me in wanting to know more about this other world. The ending hinted at the possibility of more story to come, and I hope there will be. 4 stars.

#209: I already have that one in the BlackHole. I hope my local library gets a copy of it soon.

Stasia, I think you have the fastest turnaround ever for commenting on my books. :-) I don't mind, of course, but wow! I hope you get a chance to read Magic Under Glass soon.

I hope so too!

Blackhole for me too. (It is dangerous to read these threads)

I've been meaning to read Magic Under Glass for a while now. And I admit, what first caught my attention was the "scandalous" white-washed cover!

>213 PamFamilyLibrary: hope you like it, Pam!

>214 _Zoe_: Zoe, yes, actually the first I heard about the book was all the hubbub about the cover - I really enjoyed the story, though, and it's a book I probably would have picked it up one way or the other, as teen fantasy is my "go-to" genre.

31. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

Major Pettigrew, a sixty-eight-year-old retired widower from a small village in Sussex, England, learns that his brother died. While he is still in a fog from the news, his neighbor Mrs. Ali comes over and helps him out. She offers to drive him to the funeral, where he hopes to convince his brother's widow to give him the Churchill - one of pair that his father had divided between the two boys with the understanding that they would be passed on together to subsequent generations of the Pettigrew family. But Marjorie and her daughter seem much more interested in selling the pistols, much to Major Pettigrew's chagrin.

This charming story is less about the pistols than it is about an older man who looks back with fondness on the glory days of his youth and his country, as well as the friendships that he has in the village and his growing friendship with Mrs. Ali, the shopkeeper of Pakistani heritage. Major Pettigrew, Mrs. Ali, and the people of the village of Edgecombe St. Mary are so finely drawn that I truly hesitate to call them "characters" rather than "people." I grew to have a fondness for many of them, particularly the Major and Mrs. Ali, who each have very human flaws yet are so endearing that I truly enjoyed spending time with them. 4.5 stars.

32. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart (audio)

The Mysterious Benedict Society made up of four extremely and intelligent children - Reny, Kate, Sticky, and Constance - of various ages and talents is back in this amusing tale of clues and mystery and dastardly plots. Mr. Benedict, their benefactor and friend for whom the group is named, is missing, and the evil Ledroptha Curtain has him in his clutches. The children begin following clues that Mr. Benedict has left for them, hoping against hope that they can follow them to Mr. Benedict himself and save their friend.

I enjoyed this story of smart kids and mysterious clues, though it had been so long since I read The Mysterious Benedict Society that I had trouble recognizing even familiar characters. Also, this is a tough book to listen to before bed - it's the equivalent of 11 CDs long, and it took me so long to finish it that I'd forgotten a lot of what happened in the beginning by the time it was over. But Reny and Kate, Sticky and Constance are smart, fun characters and I enjoyed their travels and banter. I may consider reading the third book in the series, but would probably reread the books first to better follow the story. 4 stars.

#216: I have that one home from the library now. I hope I enjoy it as much as you and the other 75ers have.

I hope you do, too, Stasia! I look forward to seeing your thoughts on it.

33. The Lexicographer's Dilemma by Jack Lynch

Have you ever wondered why split infinitives and sentence-ending prepositions were forbidden by grammar books? Maybe you're more curious about dictionaries and their history of recording, and sometimes making judgments about, the language. Jack Lynch covers all this and more in The Lexicographer's Dilemma, a history of all those rules (grammar, spelling, etc.) about our native language that we had to study at school - or, as he more succinctly puts it, "the evolution of 'proper' English."

That's not to say that he's making fun of these rules, though on the occasions he does, it's very entertaining. Generally Lynch takes a balanced approach, recognizing the need to learn and know standard English for writing at school, work, and other situations, while not bellyaching about the demise of the language. One example of this is the chapter on those 18th century grammarians that some pile on all the faults of trying to force English into a Latin mode with such rules as "don't split an infinitive." Actually, he argues, many of these rules did not begin in the 18th century - and the three big names in grammar were not strictly lay-down-the-law types. He quotes from many sources at length to prove his points, and I've made note of a few more books I want to read in the future. 4.5 stars.

#220: Well, rats. I was hoping one of my local libraries would have that one, but no such luck. Oh well, into the BlackHole it goes!

Yeah, my local library didn't have it either, so I put it on interlibrary loan. But since all but the newest nonfiction books are currently in storage while my library undergoes renovations, I figured it kinda came out in the wash since any nonfiction I read had to be requested.

Hope you enjoy it, anyway!

#222 But since all but the newest nonfiction books are currently in storage while my library undergoes renovations . . .

Library renovations can be a real annoyance, for patrons and staff. I hope the end result at your library is worthwhile!

(And our library doesn't have that book, either.)

So glad we don't have to worry about split infinitives anymore. I'm adding that one to my wish list. Thanks, Mary!

>223 tymfos: Thanks, Terri! Some of the construction is pretty loud, but I think it will be worth it in the end. The first phase is making a dedicated teen space in the mezzanine, which also includes a completely new set of stairs that are now up to code (the library was completed in the 60s and hasn't had any major changes since...).

>224 bonniebooks: Bonnie, I have to admit, I haven't really worried too much about grammar in my spoken language since graduation, and this book did little to make me feel like I have to change. :-) It's a really entertaining book, though, and I hope you enjoy it!

34. The Haunted Hotel: A Mystery of Modern Venice by Wilkie Collins

A strange woman comes to visit a doctor, claiming that she may have a strange malady, perhaps even madness. The doctor examines her, but can find nothing wrong. After she leaves, he is intrigued: who is this woman, and why does she think another - her former rival in love - is fated to be her undoing?

Identity, madness, and fate are familiar themes to readers of Wilkie Collins' more famous books, The Moonstone and The Woman in White. This novella explores them all in a frenetic plot that I found somewhat compelling but far too melodramatic. Maybe I'm just too cynical or maybe Collins' last story really does show the state of his own doped-up brain, as the back cover of my edition suggests. Either way, I found it hard to find the story believable, and his characterizations of females in this story annoyed me more than they have in the past. Though I found the story interesting as an example of early mystery, I would be hard-pressed to recommend it otherwise. 3 stars.

#226: OK, I think I will skip that one by Collins and stick with my planned reading of The Woman in White for later in the year.

I hope you enjoy your next read better, Mary!

Eh, it was short and compelling for what it was worth, I just never really sunk into the story like I did with, say, Major Pettigrew. Ah well. I'm thinking of reading The Moonstone soon to see if it holds up as well as my memory of it - it's tough when I think about books that I read for school, because there were a lot of books I had to read and didn't like at all (and never would have read if I weren't an English major...), so much of it depending on how much I liked or loathed the book before...it will be interesting to compare my thoughts now.

I'm reading Changeless right now, and purposely picked something as different as possible to follow The Haunted Hotel. Also, I have to go to a wake and funeral over the long weekend, and wanted to be able to read something fairly mindless when at home.

#228: I read The Moonstone both in '08 and '09 and still loved it as much as I did when I had read it years earlier. I hope you do too, Mary.

Changeless is already in the BlackHole for me as several people in the group have already recommended it. I will be interested in seeing your take on it.

Sorry to hear about the wake and funeral. Mindless reading is definitely in order.

Yep, it was definitely a good weekend for mindless reading - thoughts on Changeless should follow soon, once I get them somewhat sorted.

I think I will still enjoy The Moonstone, but I think I'm gonna wait a little longer to start on it.

Hmm...what book to read next... Just for the heck of it, let's see if I can make a poll. "Yes" vote is for Enchanted Glass and "no" vote is for Looking for Alibrandi.

35. Changeless by Gail Carriger

*As the second book in a series, this necessarily has spoilers for the first book, Soulless. Potential readers beware!*

Lady Alexia Maccon, the new muhjah and wife to werewolf Conall Maccon, has a new problem to solve when London and its environs suddenly does not have supernaturals. The ghosts disappear, and vampires and werewolves become mortal, generally in the environs of the Thames. Most disturbingly, no one knows why, though apparently their ancient lore suggests that this is not the first time something like this has happened. Lord Maccon travels to Scotland to try to work out the mystery, and Alexia soon follows when his Beta discovers that the plague - or whatever it is - appears to be traveling in the same direction as her husband.

I so enjoyed returning to the inventive world first encountered in Soulless. Alexia and Lord Maccon are as entertaining married as they were before - and their argumentative and stubborn natures stay quite true to their characters. While the first book had only a hint of flying airships and alternate technology, this one has a little bit more, and the introduction of some of the scientific alternatives in this world were fun. I'm very much looking forward to the next book. 4.5 stars.

I'm glad you liked Changeless more than I did!

It's funny you say that, Zoe, since I had certain expectations for the ending because of your review, and probably didn't mind it as much as I would have otherwise. I kept gearing up for... something... but my reaction was more like, "Oh, that was it? OK." But I see what you're saying about it feeling more like a setup for the next book.

I guess it's better than the alternative, though, of having high expectations 'cause of everyone's said x is such an amazing read, and being disappointed. :-)

#230: I voted strictly on the basis of each books LT rating. Whichever one you choose, I cannot wait to see your review. They both looked very good.

Thanks, Stasia. I'll read them both soon - I have them both on my library pile (only three right now!).

I'm in the middle of a couple of books, so I can't promise which I'll finish first, but collections short stories and interviews are hard to sit down with for a long period of time. I like to have a little bit of space between each one so I don't get them all confused. So this will be the next book I start, probably today or tomorrow, so it's looking like it will be Enchanted Glass unless there's a sudden vote the other way over the next few hours. :-)

#235: Unfortunately, my local library does not have either of the books you were thinking of reading, so it may be a while before I get my hands on them, if you recommend them.

#230 I voted for Enchanted Glass because that's the one I'd like to read...

#231 Hooray! Must. Get. Copy. Of. Changeless.

So, I did end up going with Enchanted Glass, and was hooked only a few pages in. Despite working this afternoon (and watching LOST of course), I've read over 100 pages and am hoping to get a little more reading in before bed.

>236 alcottacre: Stasia, my library doesn't have either as well. I put Enchanted Glass on hold as soon as I heard a knew Diana Wynne Jones book was coming out (I would recommend just about anything by her that I've read, but probably my favorites are Howl's Moving Castle and Dark Lord of Derkholm), and have been meaning to go back and read some of Melina Marchetta's older titles since reading Jellicoe Road last year.

>237 souloftherose: Thanks for your vote, Heather! I hope you enjoy Changeless when you get to it.

36. Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones

Andrew was working at a university when his grandfather Jocelyn Green died, leaving him a legacy that turns out to be more than he can remember. For example, he can remember that the panes of glass on the back door should not be broken or that he leaves his gardener's inedible vegetables outside overnight, but he doesn't remember their importance or who eats them, respectively. Then there's the field-of-care, the tract of land under the protection of his grandfather, and now Andrew himself. Aidan Cain, a boy with no little magical ability himself, runs from mysterious visitors into Andrew's protection. Will Andrew be able to remember what his grandfather told him and come into his inheritance? Why is Aidan in danger? And what is the importance of the panes of glass on his kitchen door?

Diana Wynne Jones is one of the authors on my "automatic order" list - when a new book comes out, I immediately put it on hold at the library sight unseen and knowing as little about the story as possible. This story does not disappoint. The story is a fast read with twists and turns carrying the reader along with it. The characters sometimes run to eccentric but are so much fun to spend time with. Like Howl's Moving Castle, each individual's approach to magic is a little different, and magic is accepted alongside science as part of reality. Highly recommended. 4.5 stars.

See, you knew you really wanted to do this one right away! Glad we gave you that little extra push. I enjoyed it a lot as well.

That does look good! Will have to check out Enchanted Glass soon...I've enjoyed everything I've read by Diana Wynne Jones, as well.

>240 ronincats: So true, Roni! It was a fun read.

>241 willowsmom: willowsmom, hope you enjoy it!

#239: One of these days I will get around to that one - as well as every other book that DWJ has ever written. I have already read the few that my local library has of hers.

Stasia, that's eventually my hope as well. She's one of my go-to authors and her stories never disappoint (though the ending of Fire and Hemlock confused me tremendously, but that was because of my own unfamiliarity with Tam Lin).

I've heard that DWJ has been struggling with lung cancer, which is sad, sad news. Bookshelves of Doom has a post and comments with info for mailing or emailing her, if anyone's interested.

37. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Sophie Hatter is the eldest of three sisters, and as everyone knows, that is not the birth order one wants to have in a fantasy story, especially if this particular sister is the stepsister of the youngest. But this is not your typical fantasy story and Sophie is not your typical heroine. When the Witch of the Waste grows jealous of Sophie's magical ability and turns her into an old woman who can't tell anyone she's under a spell, Sophie leaves the hat shop to seek her fortune. She comes across the Moving Castle owned by the Wizard Howl, who - as everyone in Ingary knows - eats girls' hearts, and bullies her way on board. Calcifer, a fire demon, let her in and seems to like her alright, offering to break her spell if she will break his contract with Howl, though he can't tell her what it is either.

I usually try to keep my summaries short, but there's a lot going on in this story. Believe it or not, I only scratched the surface and didn't go beyond page 60. Part of the reason I love and reread this story is because of its complexity and having the opportunity to perhaps pick up on small clues to the plot that I overlooked the first time. The other reason is that Sophie, Howl, Calcifer, Michael (Howl's apprentice), and all the rest are fabulous characters. I love Sophie's sort of bullying magic, Howl's ridiculously vain behavior, and Michael's longsuffering. Their interactions are entertaining whether it's the first or the third time I've read the book, and even when I know exactly what's going to happen and how, I enjoy spending time with them. Howl's Moving Castle has a permanent place on my shelf. 5 stars.

#245: I loved that one when I read it earlier this year. I discovered DWJ through LT (another new author to me!) and have liked everything I have been able to get my hands on of hers.

Stasia, Howl is one of my favorites of hers, along with Dark Lord of Derkholm. I bought Howl's Moving Castle on Saturday and read it over the weekend (due dates? library books? What are those?) because I just had to... I've actually been hankering to reread it for about a month, ever since I reread the Attolia series. I couldn't figure out why for the longest time, until I took a look at my reading journal and realized that every time before that I had read these books, I read them within a few days of each other. So they seem to be kind of wrapped up in my brain now, that they have to be read together.

I have never heard of Dark Lord of Derkholm. *sigh* Another one for me to track down . . .

It's neverending, isn't it? :)

38. Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta

Josephine Alibrandi knows what it's like to deal with labels. She never felt like she fully fit in, because she was born in Australia but had Italian roots, and has a single mother. Now she's a scholarship student and a senior at a Catholic high school, still struggling to know herself. Josie has to navigate relationships with her mother, her Italian grandmother who seems to find nothing good to say about her daughter, and her father, Michael Andretti, who shows up out of the blue after abandoning her mother eighteen years ago. She wants to break free of everyone's rules and expectations, but does Josie even know what she expects of herself?

Written in an almost-diary format, Josie has a compelling and authentic voice of a seventeen-year-old coming into her own. Each chapter is written in first-person past tense, but comes across as if the events she relates just happened. It's not quite a diary, however, as there are no dates heading up each chapter, and weeks can go by between pages. Almost an entire year is covered, as Josie learns about herself, her family, and her dreams. The story covers a lot of ground in terms of her relationships with friends, boys, her father, and her grandmother, but the theme holding the story together is Josie's coming of age and growing to know herself. Realistic teen fiction doesn't always age well, but this search for identity will always have currency, and the only parts that date the story are brief references to Doc Martens and a tape deck. Though not as streamlined or complicated as Jellicoe Road, this is still a book I would recommend. 4 stars.

39. Steampunk edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer

This anthology of steampunk writers from over twenty years begins with the essay "The 19th-Century Roots of Steampunk" by Jess Nevins, which gives the reader a lot of background about the genre and its roots in the novels of Jules Verne, dime novels, and authors' political responses to science fiction. The stories included then go on to show just how broad this genre can be, from diabolical inventors to a really creepy character who created rifts in time to a sort of comedy-of-manners in which a wife tries to distract her husband from gardening.

You may not love every story here - in fact, considering the range of stories, I would be surprised if you did - but you will surely come away with an appreciation of the breadth of subjects and styles that steampunk can encompass. My personal favorite was "Seventy-Two Letters" by Ted Chiang, an intricate short story involving the power of naming, kabbalistic ideas, and automata. On the other hand, I skimmed rather than read "The Steam Man of the Prairie and the Dark Rider Get Down: A Dime Novel" by Joe R. Lansdale. Though an interesting premise, that the main character from H.G. Wells' Time Machine created rifts in time and becomes insane, the story involved such a large amount of violence that only those with a very strong stomach should read it.

Finally, if you enjoy some of the stories, you will come away with a list of further books to read. I want to look for more by Ted Chiang, as well as James Blaylock and Michael Chabon. Besides the authors included, the final two essays give you even more to look into. Rick Klaw surveys steampunk books, movies, and games in his essay "The Steam-Driven Time Machine: A Pop Culture Survey," in which he includes a list of his top-ten steampunk books and movies. The final essay, "The Essential Sequential Steampunk" by Bill Baker gives readers a brief sketch of steampunk stories in comic book format.

If you're interested in learning about the steampunk subgenre, this collection of short stories is an excellent place to start. Though the editors admit in the introduction that the best of steampunk is novel-length, the essays and stories included in this anthology are an excellent source of information, authors, and title suggestions for a newbie like me and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick introduction to the genre.

#250/251: I am adding both of those to the BlackHole although I would have sworn up and down that Steampunk was already there. I checked and sure enough, it was not, so it is now!

Glad to recommend more titles to you, Stasia. I hope you enjoy them! Out of curiosity, how do you keep track of your BlackHole? My lists are incomplete because I'm too afraid to know the actual size of my TBR longlist.

#253: I started using GoodReads to keep track of the BlackHole before LT started the Collections feature, so GoodReads is where the BlackHole resides. I still do not have all the books listed there yet - I have several notebooks to enter yet - but I already have almost 7000 books listed there.

#251 AFAIK, Chabon hasn't written any other steampunk, although his alternate history The Yiddish Policemen's Union is very good. Blaylock writes steampunk / fantasy, sort of a bit like Tim Powers but also a bit like KW Jeter's steampunk novels. The latter's are definitely worth reading: Morlock Night and Infernal Devices, btw.

I thought Steampunk was a pretty good collection. My favorite was probably Blaylock's Lord Kelvin's Machine - I had never read the original short story version. And yeah, the best part was coming away with a list books to read!

Also, I highly recommend The Yiddish Policemen's Union as well. Gentlemen of the Road was another good one of his.

>253 bell7: Stasia, I think I have about 250 listed on my library's "wishlist" feature, a few dozen more listed in a notebook and 'most everything else stored in my head (for now). I'm afraid to know how long it really is.

>255 iansales: Thanks, Ian, always great to have recommendations! I've been thinking of trying Michael Chabon for awhile, not really related to steampunk - The Yiddish Policeman's Union or The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, maybe.

>256 drneutron: Jim, "Lord Kelvin's Machine" was another good one, probably runner-up for my favorite of the collection. I would be curious to see how he lengthened it, though now I'm looking, I'd probably start with the beginning of the series.

::sigh:: too many books to read...

Michael Chabon is very good, IMHO. He is one of my LT discoveries. I hope you get a chance to try one of his books soon. My vote is for The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay :)

I'll have to bump his books up on the TBR longlist. Thanks, Stasia, Ian and Jim for the recommendations.

40. The Last Knight by Hilari Bell

Fisk is a squire - at least, he is as of a week ago when he met Michael, an eighteen-year-old knight errant about 200 years after that was a fashionable trade. Michael wants to travel, so he chose this life of working hard and helping out his fellow man over his father's chosen profession for him: steward to his oldest brother. But when the boys are tricked into freeing a murderess, Michael's father Baron Seven Oaks redeems them. In order for Michael to be a free man again, they have to recapture Lady Ceciel and bring her for trial.

Much of this story is told over the course of a journey, so the plot feels meandering at times while Michael and Fisk try to track down Lady Ceciel or her steward all along the countryside. The story is much more focused, however, when it is read as the story of two young men becoming friends and learning to trust each other. Each chapter is told alternating between Fisk's and Michael's points of view, which can be difficult to pull off but works really well to give readers insight into both of their characters, not only by what they reveal about themselves, but what they say about each other. Fisk is funny and sarcastic, protesting just a bit too much that he wants to leave Michael the first chance he gets. Michael's narrative is sprinkled with "tis" and "mayhap," marking him as a nobleman's son, and his descriptions of others show how idealistic he is. This first in the "Knight and Rogue" series is recommended for older readers who enjoyed The Lightning Thief or Howl's Moving Castle. 4.5 stars.

#260: Anxiously awaiting your thoughts on that one, Mary.

I think it is about time for a new thread, too~

Good call, Stasia, I kind of forgot.

Here's Part 2.