VictoriaPL's 11-11

Reading from Jan - Dec 2011.

I love to read along with other people - that's why I'm on LT, right? If you see something you'd like to read with me, drop me a note and let's pick a date!




APRIL
Strange Saint (RTT)

MAY
Agnes Grey (11-11 group)

I: Audiobooks



1. Purgatory Ridge by William Kent Krueger (1.24.2011)
2. Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger (2.2.2011)
3. Boundary Waters by William Kent Krueger (4.22.2011)

Candidates:
Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (11-11 Group) in MAY

II: Brontëana



1. Becoming Jane Eyre by Sheila Kohler (1.19.2011)
2. Romancing Miss Brontë by Juliet Gael w/elbakerone (2.5.2011)
3. Wuthering Heights: the Wild and Wanton edition by Beth Williamson (2.15.2011)
4. Bedlam: The Further Secret Adventures of Charlotte Brontë by Laura Joh Rowland (2.17.2011)

Candidates:
The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë by Syrie James
The Secret by Charlotte Bronte
Jane Eyre's Daughter by Elizabeth Newark
Rochester: A Novel Inspired by Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre by J.L. Niemann
Branwell: A Novel of the Brontë Brother by Douglas Martin
Charlotte and Emily: a Novel of the Brontës by Jude Morgan
Emily's Ghost by Denise Giardina
Four Dreamers and Emily by Stevie Davies
Emily Brontë and Beethoven by Robert K Wallace

note
Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte in Audiobooks category
Wuthering Bites by Sarah Gray in Monster Mash category

III: Talk to the Hand
'owned' books I've been ignoring for too long



1. Bone Voyage: A Journey in Forensic Anthropology by Stanley Rhine (1.13.2011)
2. Last Shot by Gregg Hurwitz (1.17.2011)
3. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (2.9.2011) w/11-11 Group

Candidates:
Orchestrated Death by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas
And So Victoria by Vaughn Wilkins
World Enough and Time by Robert Penn Warren
Whitechapel Gods by S.M. Peters
Listen Listen by Kate Wilhelm
The Toyminator by Robert Rankin
Captured by Indians: 15 Firsthand Accounts by Fredrick Drimmer
I'd Kill for That by Various
House of the Whispering Pines by Anna Katherine Green
Beginnings, Middles and Ends by 48808::Nancy Kress
13552::Make Your Words Work by Gary Provost
The Grand Complication by Allen Kurzweil

IV: My Precious
We wants it. We needs it. Must have the precious.
These are books by my current author-crushes



1. The Song is You by Megan Abbott w/RidgewayGirl (1.3.2011)
2. The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig w/ christina_reads (2.2.2011)
3. The Night Season by Chelsea Cain w/RidgewayGirl, jonesli (3.23.2011)
4. The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen (3.30.2011)
5. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson w/ RidgewayGirl (4.11.2011)

Candidates:
Everfound by Neal Shusterman releases 5.3.2011
Fallen: a Novel by Karin Slaughter releases 6.21.2010
Iron House by John Hart releases 7.12.2011
something by Ira Levin
BlueEyedBoy by Joanne Harris
Wonderwall or Illyria by Elizabeth Hand

V: Cinematheque Victoria
books discovered through film or TV



1. Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay Dexter w/ jonesli (1.9.2011)
2. The Cooler by George Markstein The Prisoner (1.21.2011)
3. Goldfinger by Ian Fleming Goldfinger (1.29.2011)
4. Naked Heat by Richard Castle Castle 11-11 group (3.8.2011)

Candidates:
Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard Empire of the Sun
Angel of Vengeance by Trevor Munson Moonlight
Big Fish by Daniel Wallace Big Fish
Tapping the Source by Ken Nunn Pointbreak
The Repossession Mambo by Eric Garcia Repo Men
Burn Notice: The End Game by Tod Goldberg Burn Notice
Dances With Wolves by Michael Blake Dances With Wolves
For Your Eyes Only by Ian Fleming For Your Eyes Only
Coffinman: the Journal of a Buddhist Mortician by Shinmom Aoki Departures

VI: Health
physical, spiritual, emotional or financial



1. Living Well Emotionally by Montel Williams and William Doyle (1.4.2011)
2. The Survivor's Club by Ben Sherwood (2.19.2011)

Candidates:
The Primal Blueprint
2012300::Six Months Off by Hope Dlugozima
64982::Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez
So Long Insecurity by Beth Moore
Life's Greatest Lessons: 20 Things That Matter by Hal Urban

VII: Bride of the Monster Mash
my annual creep through the dark side - three years running!



1. Wuthering Bites by Sarah Gray (1.11.2011)
2. The Bride of Frankenstein by Elizabeth Hand (1.20.2011)
3. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith (1.22.2011)

Candidates:

Frankenstein: Lost Souls by Dean Koontz
Incarnadine: The True Memoirs of Count Dracula by R.H. Greene
23 Hours: A Vengeful Vampire Tale by David Wellington
The Fall by Guillermo Del Toro
World War Z by Max Brooks
Henry VIII: Wolfman by A.E. Moorat releases 8.15.2011
Fallen by laurenkate::Lauren Kate
The Vampire Tapestry by Suzy McKee Charnas

VIII: The Magic 8-Ball
whatever shows up on my murky horizon



1. In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming* (1.10.2011)
2. Triptych by Karin Slaughter (1.15.2011)
3. Body Trauma: a writer's guide to wounds and injuries by David W. Page (1.23.2011)
4. A Fountain Filled with Blood by Julia Spencer-Fleming (2.4.2011)
5. Out of the Deep I Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming (2.11.2011)
6. To Darkness and to Death by Julia Spencer-Fleming (2.23.2011)
7. All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming (2.27.2011)
8. I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming (3.2.2011)
9. One Was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming (3.14.2011)

*audiobook

IX: The Watercooler
suggestions from other members



1. Forty Words for Sorrow by Giles Blunt (1.10.2011)
2 The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister (2.19.2011)
3. The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff* (2.21.2011)
4. Build My Gallows High by Geoffry Homes w/pamelad (3.3.2011)

Candidates:
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (w/elbakerone)
Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres
Chinatown Death Cloud Peril by Paul Malmont
The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard
Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky
The Stars Tennis Balls by Stephen Fry
The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer
The Library at Night by Alberto Manguel
Praise the Human Season by Don Robertson
The Killing Tree by Rachel Keener
Tamar: A Novel of Espionage, Passion and Betrayal by Mal Peet
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

*audiobook

X: Children & Young Adult

1. The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L.J. Smith (1.5.2011)
2. The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle (2.18.2011)
3. Close Kin: Book II The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy by Clare B. Dunkle (2.22.2011)
4. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld w/11-11 group (4.14.2011)

Candidates:
Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry
Peter and the Sword of Mercy by Dave Barry
Peter Pan in Scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean
The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean
The Maze Runner by James Dashner (w/elbakerone)
Shiver by Maggie Ztiefvater
City of Bones by cassandraclare::Cassandra Clare
Flyte by Angie Sage
Physik by Angie Sage
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
My Swordhand is Singing by Marcus Sedgwick
Wake by Lisa McMann

XI: Hello There...
new-to-me authors



1. Spade and Archer by Joe Gores w/jonesli (1.26.2011)
2. Shadow Man by Cody McFadyen w/RidgewayGirl (1.30.2011)
3. Indemnity Only by Sara Paretsky w/jonesli, RidgewayGirl (2.2.2011)
4. A Perfect Evil by Alex Kava w/jonesli (3.4.2011)

Candidates:
Over the Edge by Suzanne Brockmann
The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan
The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry

I love your list, especially the "books discovered through film" category -- what an ingenious idea!

I'll definitely be reading The Orchid Affair next year too, so maybe we could do that in tandem as well. :) Up to you, of course!

Sounds great Christina!

Love your selections, quite a few YAs that I haven't got to yet as well. Good luck with the 1010, I'm still slogging away as well.

The Lies of Locke Lamora was probably my best read from 2009 so hope you enjoy that one. But as always, lots to look forward to from your candidates already.

Loved that one too! (When is bloody Republic of thieves finally coming, anyways???)

@19, I think it's still scheduled for an early 2011 release but Scott Lynch has been having a few problems that have affected his writing. You can read more here.

Thanks for that link, Wolfy. Very brave of Lynch to share like that.

Yes, very brave. Maybe I'll be able to catch up to you guys and we can all read Republic of Thieves together.

Ooh, I'd be interested in reading The Thirteenth Tale. Do you have a time frame in mind?

Hey Cindy - no timeline yet for The Thirteenth Tale. Christina_reads is also interested in it, but I don't think she's narrowed it down either. It should be fun! I'm ashamed at how long I've owned it without reading it...

Just bouncing by and wanted to say that if there is a possible group read for The Thirteenth Tale I would be interested as well!

Well, I'll post a note on the Group Reads thead!

Just popping in to say hi. I'm not starting my own thread until I finish the 1010, but I couldn't resist seeing what you were planning. No wonder you manage to pack in so many tandem reads when you tempt people with intriguing choices months in advance. Shall we read the Chelsea Cain and Shadow Man together?

Hey Kay! I knew you couldn't resist the 11-11 for long! Of course we should read those together - why break up a good thing? Have we read all of the Cain books together, or all but the first?

I can't let you and Kay have all the fun with Archie and Gretchen by yourself, let me know when you guys plan to read it.

When does it come out, in the spring?

Hi Lisa!
March 1st. Can't wait!

The Water cooler! Such a great category name!

Hey GM - Thanks! I had a difficult time naming my categories. I'm really looking forward to this challenge, just have to button down the hatches and finish the 1010 first!

I'm going to combine my tandem reads & group read categories and make a Bronte category. I have found so many possibilities in the last few days and I can't resist the temptation!

Yay, Bronte category! I'll be interested to see what you read for it! :)

I think the Brontes will be fun!

Hey ladies, thanks for stopping by. Yes, I think it will be fun. I wish it were January already! I have 20 books left on the 1010.

I think I have 18 left, so I feel your pain! I'm definitely looking forward to next year. :)

okay... made a category change.

Deleted The Flemings category.
Moved Ian into Cinematheque Victoria and Julia into Hello There.

Added Talk to the Hand category.
Took a good look at the TBR shelves last night and had a pang of guilt over books I know I passed over for the 1010 Challenge.

I'm also making changes to my categories, I have to be realistic about what I actually will be reading as well.

Another change:

Deleted Group or Tandem Reads category.
Most of my selections fit into my other categories anyway.

Added Audiobooks category.
This will make 121 a reachable goal for me because I can "read" while at work. Shhhh!

I'm looking for a job that will let me "read" at work too! I'll be checking out that category for sure. Hope you're having a nice Monday!

Every day as I get into the underground station where I live, I think about the man in the ticket booth invariably reading Metro, a free daily newspaper tabloid that you can pick up in the station. Metro takes ten minutes to read, tops. By the time I get there, he must be leafing through it for the seventh time already. Were it me, you'd see some serious clunkster reading going down!

(This is, in brackets, the only potential factor in the man's job I envy.)

@41 Hey Laura! I hope you had a nice Monday too. I'm sure the Audiobook category will fill up quickly. I know I can get them from the library but I love downloading them from Librivox.org too. You hear so many different accents and reading styles... which can be good and bad.

@42 Ha! The good point about a clunkster, GM, is that if anyone attacks you, you can just break their nose and go along your way. This reminds me of an episode of Castle I watched last week where a man had a Dostoyevsky tome stuffed in his jacket - it stopped a bullet and saved his life.

The bullet fell into a pit of despair spiked with a reckless desire to throw it all away.

ba-domp-ching!
Well, I should break out the eggnog (or glogg for Anders) and we can start this party early!

42: GBM, that would probably be the easiest way to get through a chunkster in a small amount of time - perhaps I'll try some version of it for this challenge (for example, reading 3 - 10 pages at a time, multiple times a day) so I can get some work done in my Doorstoppers category!

43: I so enjoy Castle. For some reason it didn't record last night, and I'm so annoyed! Looks like I'll have to sacrifice some online-LT time to watch it at abc.com - hmph!

44: Made me laugh so hard I startled my cats - thanks!

43 - 44 - Thanks for that laugh!

Glad I found you! You have some good reads to look forward to this coming year.

#1 The Song is You by Megan Abbott
Category: My Precious
read with: RidgewayGirl
3.5 stars

Megan Abbott writes like a lover whispering in your ear. It's dirty and direct and it hits you right there. Many of us in the 10-10 group read Queenpin last year and were impressed with it. The Song is You is unmistakably Abbott - the same dark silky prose - yet it wasn't quite as satisfying as the other. Was it simply that our first time was more memorable?
Honestly, I think it was a failure on my part to connect with either Hop, the studio publicity man, or Jean, the starlet. It just wasn't there. Of all the characters the best friend, Jerry, was pushing my buttons - and there wasn't enough of him.
Still, The Song is You is a good read. You could pair it with some early Robert Crais and it will take more than one shower to rinse the 'seedy LA' vibe off of you. If you're looking for neo-noir, Abbott is the only woman you need.

#2 Living Well Emotionally by Montel Williams and William Doyle
Category: Health
3 stars

To be honest, I didn't know much about Montel Williams before reading this book. I had no idea of the health and mental struggles he faced and the charisma which came across the page was a surprise. I'm very impressed with him personally.
The book itself covered the usual things you hear in self-improvement books - better quality food, more physical activity, etc. But Williams also focuses heavily on your mental game: the power of positive psychology; the ability of projecting even just one happy thought to help elevate you; the effect of daily gratitude and the importance of feeling connected to the spiritual (whatever you take that to mean).
It wasn't a life-changing book for me but I do believe it can help others out there. It's always nice to read a positive book to start the year off right.

#3 The Awakening (The Vampire Diaries Book 1) by L.J. Smith
Category: Children and Young Adult
2 stars

Yes, I really did. I was curious and now I know. Enough said.

Ha! Ha! Victoria, you almost made be splurt my coffee!! I've certainly been there a time or two in my reading as well.

Sorry DQ. ;)

#4 Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
Category: Cinemetheque Victoria
read with: jonesli
4 stars

Short review - better than book one.

More thoughts.... I really liked where Lindsay went with this one. The story was satisfying and I could not turn the pages fast enough. The relationships Dexter maintains with his sister and his girlfriend are particularly interesting to me. Before reading book two, I wasn't sure I would continue with the series but Lindsay laid a foundation for some things that I'm curious about now.
Since this wasn't my first exposure to Dexter, I tried to think about it more and I kept asking myself - why am I cheering this psychopath on? Why do I like Dexter so much? Well, he follows his code and makes the bad guy disappear, classic anti-hero. As long as it's just the bad guy that gets hurt and not an innocent, I feel good about backing him. Has modern fiction (and TV) made it easier to embrace a vigilante?
Lindsay's choice of first-person narration is brilliant. It's so well written - highlighting Dexter's confusion at human emotion (making him the outsider) and the constant chess-game to keep up his veneer (making him the genius),
More rides with the Dark Passenger are in order...

#5 Forty Words for Sorrow by Giles Blunt
Category: The Watercooler
3.5 stars

A snowstorm moved in last night and is currently blanketing my home and yard, but watching the snow fall doesn't make me feel half as cold as reading the descriptions of snow that Giles Blunt has peppered throughout his text. When I read about "capes of snow" billowing out behind the truck tires, I could see it, I was there. Blunt really transported me into Canada. I loved that about this book.
I liked John Cardinal and I liked Lise Delorme. As characters they were very satisfying but I didn't feel completely connected to them. Like I was a step removed.
The reason this book didn't get a higher rating from me was that, in general, I don't like being in the head of the Big Bad. I prefer to see it all from the protagonist's POV, unless of course, they're interacting with each other.
I'll consider reading the sequel...

#6 In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming
Category: Audiobooks
4.5 stars

Who dumped a baby on the steps of St. Alban's on a frigid winter's night and left his mother to die on the banks of the river? It's up to Clare, the new woman-priest, and Russ, the chief-of-police, to find some answers.
During the first few chapters I wasn't sure if I was going to like this but by the end I was literally on the edge of my seat. I love the chemistry between these two: newcomer and long-timer, southerner and northerner, civilian and authority, man and woman... it just works. I can't wait to read the next one.

>56 VictoriaPL: Oh, dear, another series that sounds really good! I don't need any more, but onto the wishlist it goes!

You'll be needing a warm weather read soon, those last two are really set in the deep winter. I read In the Bleak Midwinter a while ago and really enjoyed it, must remember to follow up on that series, the first one was really good.

I just reserved book 2, A Fountain Filled With Blood, from the library. We'll see how it goes.

>#51- that is all the farther I went into that series too Didn't care enough to continue. Don't watch the tv show either.

#7 Wuthering Bites by Sarah Gray
Category: Bride of the Monster Mash
4 stars

Together, they would brave satan and all his legions...

That last part of Wuthering Heights always struck me as a little odd, even in a book that is peppered with such theatrical (but oh so beautiful) passages. I guess it must have stuck out to Ms. Gray as well, for what would have inspired her to add vampires to Emily Bronte's masterpiece? But I seem to be getting ahead of myself, more on that later.

First, In the interest of full disclosure, I must reveal that I'm kind of a... sucker... for these mashups. Many of us have read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies or Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters or even Android Karenina. I read nearly a dozen of these type of books last year. I even read Mansfield Park and Mummies and Emma and the Werewolves (neither of which I would recommend). But I would recommend Wuthering Bites to those of us who read the original over and over again and might want to mix things up a bit.

Many of the most revered and quoted passages of Wuthering Heights are left untouched or barely altered, which made me very happy. What I was not looking for was awkward passages of vampiric sex or sensual bloodletting or even, heaven forbid, flying. Thankfully Ms. Gray had the fortitude to largely remain in the same voicing - the narration with either Nelly or Lockwood telling the tale. The greatest chunk of new material is towards the end.

While I was reading, it occurred to me how easily the original Bronte work lent itself to be inundated with vampires. It seemed in places much more natural than what has been done with some of the Austen material. The Cathy/Heathcliff passages alone are filled with opportunity. (SPOILERS here for those who haven't read Wuthering Heights) Specifically: Cathy's tendency to fling open her windows as her illness progresses; Cathy's dream of her own death and how the angels refused to allow her into heaven; Cathy's appearance at Lockwood's window, begging to be allowed in; Heathcliff's transformation into a powerful, charismatic gentlemen with a dangerous dark side; Heathcliff digging up Cathy's coffin in the kirkyard and damning her to walk the earth. There's also quite a few deaths in the novel - nearly a dozen - and some like consumption or 'brain fever' give themselves over to the vampiric tale quite well.

I didn't give it a five-star rating because there was one notable instance where I felt Ms. Gray was a little heavy-handed and I came out of the story entirely. But for the most part I was very satisfied with my walk on the moors with the fanged beasties.

61> OOO Had not heard of this particular mash-up. Can't wait to hear your thoughts. Now, off to add it to the wishlist!

#8 - Bone Voyage: A Journey in Forensic Anthropology by Stanley Rhine
Category: Talk to the Hand
3 stars

"Although you can fool most of the people most of the time, you cannot usually fool the forensic anthropologist."

Some time ago (I'm really embarrassed that I cannot remember if it was 2010 or 2009), RidgewayGirl suggested this book to me. I'm not much for reading non-fiction, though I am working on reading more of it (2 of last 8, thank you very much).

Now then, Bone Voyage is a very professional book, loaded with case studies, pictures of skeletons and a few bodies (i wanted to warn anyone who might be sensitive to that). This would be a wonderful primer for a beginning criminal justice student or for someone interested in a medicolegal field.

Mr. Rhine spends much of the book teaching why anthropologists should be the ones to handle and to consult regarding bones - so that mistakes are not made, evidence is not lost and misconceptions are not given out. He also covers the ways skeletons can be difficult to read, the ways they can trick the novice and the way the environment or trauma can affect them.

It's difficult for me to say that I greatly enjoyed it. It had its moments, especially with Mr. Rhine's dry wit. I'm sure he's a good professor and probably even a good conversationalist. But even with that, I did feel a little overwhelmed with the subject matter at times.

The only knowledge I have of forensic anthropology is limited to the TV show "Bones," but it seems like a really interesting study! As a law student, I'm thinking I might give that book a look...

Christina, I think it would be interesting for you. Don't be surprised if you find yourself thinking about it days after you've finished, though. There's one particular passage about childrens skeletons and how, due the way bones form, they can have 100 or so more bones than adults do, depending on how young they were when they died. I've been thinking about that at the oddest times!

#9 Triptych by Karin Slaughter
Category: The Magic 8-Ball
4.5 Stars

Well, those of you who have been with me since I discovered Karin Slaughter (thank you, LTER program) last July will probably feel your eyeballs glaze over at this point... because the Slaughter-lovefest just keeps rolling.

This woman has massive skills. You've gotten through a few chapters and you think, it's okay but nothing really out-of-the-ordinary. A few women raped and murdered, law enforcement trying to put the hammer down...Then you read that last sentence in the chapter and you sit up taller and ask yourself, did she just? Yes, she did, she just leveled up under your nose! The story barrels on at high-speed, things resolve, an obvious wrap-up ensues and still you're like, fighting-mad when you turn the page and there are no. more. pages. That is Karin Slaughter.

But it's not so much her I'm besotted with as her character, Special Agent Will Trent. He's so driven, so wounded. Slaughter's victims are never as interesting as what she has going on with Will's backstory. This is the first Will Trent book (yes, I started at the wrong chronological end) and it has a lot more of Angie in it. I like how Slaughter has conceived their relationship. It's not pretty and it's not healthy but Will can't let go of it. In the other two books I've read, I wanted him to but after reading this one, I'm not sure. Angie's such a strong character and I started to like her. Damn.

@66 Frantically feverishly good review!

Excellent review of Triptych! I can also relate to the lovefest, I believe that mine took place last summer.

I was a little distraught about what happened to a certain character in the Sara Linton series, but I like the way she is weaving the relationships together in both series.

Although I like both series a lot, I have to admit Will Trent's story is an incredibly good one!

Thanks guys!

Lisa - I've heard differing opinions about the Sara books. Do you think I would enjoy them? I've only read the combined books and I like her interaction with Will.

Hi Victoria. I'm adding Build My Gallows High to the wishlist, just in case you're interested in a tandem read.

Hi Pamela! That sounds great. I'm still trying to get a copy myself. My library doesn't have it and there's not a copy on BookMooch. I can always ILL it. Do you have a timeframe in mind?

Hi Victoria:

I think that Karin Slaughter is such a good writer that you will enjoy the Sara Linton series, but your enjoyment may be just a little less than the Will Trent series.

I think Blindsighted is the first book.

Where's the best place to start with the Karin Slaughter books to get the best out of the characters? So far I've only read Triptych but do want to read more. I already have Fractured on the tbr shelves but not sure how this fits in with how her other books progress. I know, for instance, that this series has at least one crossover with the Sara Linton series.

Hey Wolfy! Maybe Lisa would be in a better position to answer your question. I can't speak for the Sara series, which are chronologically the first books, because I haven't read them yet. I started with Broken and Undone, both are crossovers with Sara/Will but it's out-of-order, so I wouldn't recommend that (although I'm having a great time). I also want to read Fractured now that I've done Triptych. Maybe we can read it together?

Victoria, thanks for the offer but I'm just not sure I can commit to any timescale and wouldn't want to hold you back from reading it when you want to. While I do want to read more of her work it's just not an immediate priority for me as it stands and I'm still not even sure I'll get to Fractured this year or not.

#10 Last Shot by Gregg Hurwitz
Category: Talk to the Hand
4 stars

Walker Jameson murdered a fellow inmate and engineered his escape from super max for one reason, to avenge the death of his sister, Tess. It's up to U.S. Marshal Tim Rackley to flush him out but there's only one problem, his fugitive thinks too much like he does. Jameson is a mirror image of Rackley - similar upbringing, similar vocations, similar codes of honor - only Jameson is younger and still has his edge. As Rackley and Jameson hunt each other, and those people responsible for Tess's early desmise, they begin to slowly share resources to find the truth. The question is - when the last shot is fired, which man will be left alive?

Hurwitz has been hit or miss for me, but I enjoyed this one. I liked the internal struggle Rackley faced as he genuinely identified with Jameson and understood his need for vigilante justice but still felt duty-bound to bring him in. I also liked the partnership between Jameson and Bear. I've never cared for Rackley's wife, Dray, but there was little of her in this one. The book lost a star because I guessed the ending long in advance. I hate that.

Good review, I will be reading The Kill Clause at some point.

Also, re: Karin Slaughter, I don't think I started the Sara Linton series in order, and I think that there was enough background given each time that I didn't feel as though I missed out on anything.

#71 How about March? I'm going to order a copy from the Book Depository.

March sounds great, it's a deal!

#11 Becoming Jane Eyre by Sheila Kohler
Category: Brontëana
3 stars

Becoming Jane Eyre is a fictionalized Brontë biography told in an interesting way. It begins in 1846 with Charlotte caring for her bed-ridden father. She uses the time to reminisce about her life and that of her siblings, turning their experiences into her novel, Jane Eyre. The idea is not so far-fetched. I've always been told "write what you know" and I'm sure that for the Brontë girls it was no different. Charlotte transmuting her love for a married professor and her sadness over her father's failing eyesight into Edward Rochester. Emily memorializing Branwell's wild, drunken decline in Hindley Earnshaw while Charlotte used his mad antics for Bertha Mason.

So, why does the book not rate higher with me? The perspective threw me for the first couple of pages. Apparently it's called 'third-person present' narration and I'm not sure I completely acclimated to it. Also, the last third of the book, which largely covers Charlotte and Anne's journey to London to meet with Charlotte's publisher, felt like a reread of The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Brontë. I was a little bored with that section, though someone who comes to the material fresh may not be.

All-in-all, it's a decent diversion if you need a fix for your Brontë habit.

Hey, just wanted to let you know that I got my copy of The Orchid Affair! Are we still on for February? Let me know when you want to start! :)

Nice review!

>81 christina_reads: Hey Christina! B&N says they're shipping my copy of The Orchid Affair today, so I think our February date is still good. Can't wait!

>82 citygirl: Thanks citygirl - It's been awhile! Nice to see you here.

#12 The Bride of Frankenstein by Elizabeth Hand
Category: Bride of the Monster Mash
2 stars

Sigh. It aggrieves me to give a bad review to an Elizabeth Hand novel. She is one of my favorite authors and hearing her read in person is just magical.

I love the Frankenstein tale and I don't mind an author making the Bride a strong character. Dean Koontz has done a wonderful job with this in his Frankenstein series: Prodigal Son, Dead and Alive, etc.

This book, however, I did not enjoy. I disliked the Bride from the very first page. I appreciate the character arc Hand was putting her through but the Bride and I never clicked. Also, this book lacked the atmosphere that most of Hand's books have. Well, at least her original material does and I guess that's the problem. In the future I will stay away from her franchise books. Sorry Liz.

#13 The Cooler by George Markstein
Category: Cinematheque Victoria
3.5 stars

Its name is Inverloch but most simply call it The Cooler, the country house where the Major sends his London agents when they've gone a bit mental or their covers have been blown. He must protect his little clutch, for each one has a tasty little yolk inside, like "Normandy" or "Omaha Beach". He can't afford to send them into the field where they might be cracked by the Nazis. Then word comes from Security - one of the eggs inside the Major's basket is rotten. He must find the double agent before the D-day plans are scrambled and served up to the Fuhrer.

George Markstein is one of the creators of the 1967 British mini-series The Prisoner. Obviously the two properties share the same basic setup but the similarity really stops there.
Written in 1974, The Cooler suffers a bit from being dated but I still enjoyed it and blazed through it in a few hours. My main disappointment with the writing was how long it took him to setup the background of each of the spies. It took over half the book just to get the story to the Inverloch setting.

#14 Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith
Category: Bride of the Monster Mash
2 stars

Of all the mashups I've read, and I've read a lot, I believe the ones Quirk Classics produces to be superior. That said, I believe P&P&Z should not have been reanimated, shabby and stumbling around Netherfield, like a Dreadful. It fails to capture the spirit present in the original. So many of our beloved characters are missing. There's no Darcy or Bingley; no Charlotte or Collins. I felt adrift. The only new character I embraced was Capt. Cannon and his Limbs, who were delightful and kept me going when I found the going to be tedious. Pass on by and let this one lay undisturbed.

Awww, I've been wanting to read that one simply for the cover art alone. Too bad.

#15 Purgatory Ridge by William Kent Krueger
Category: Audiobook
4 stars

Terrorism. Blackmail. Assault. Kidnapping. Murder.
Regret. Honor. Betrayal. Endurance. Sacrifice. Love.

I hardly know where I should start to tell you about Purgatory Ridge. There's a lot going down in Aurora, a town on the north shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. It's a community conflicted in so many ways. There's the Lake and the National Forest. White men and the Ojibwe. Casino money and lumber money and folks with no money at all. Small town power-plays. Activists out for the big-time spotlight. Men who don't know love, men who know that love left them a long time ago and men who are finding love again. And then there's Mother Nature herself, who is thickly weaved in the middle of it all.

I have always loved small-town dramas where the players are tied together in enumerable, interesting ways and they all know each other's business. It's a beautifully told tale and the pacing lets you know that Krueger's been at this awhile. I should mention that this the third book in the Cork O'Connor series. Since when do I ever read anything in the correct order? I didn't feel I was missing much, some history on Cork, obviously, but the book functioned fine as a stand-alone. I enjoyed it and I plan to come back to this series.

Hmmm. Sounds like an interesting series.

And that's what I call a review!

#16 Body Trauma: a writer's guide to wounds and injuries by David W. Page
Category: The Magic 8-Ball
3 stars

Every fall when NaNoWriMo comes around, I spend hours reading the forums. There are all kinds of interesting, bizarre and arcane queries, including many people searching for data on medical symptoms and treatment. It's difficult to write realistically without experience and that's the whole point of the Howdunit series.

Page spends quite a bit of time talking about the hospital itself - the trauma center, the doctors' pecking order, the ABCs of trauma and a diagram of an ER's trauma bay. Interesting stuff. However, it assumes that your character actually goes to the hospital. I was also interested in the symptoms/care of a field-treated wound and didn't get much data there. The book deals with injuries by system: head, abdominal, organs, extremities, etc and there's an index for quick searching.

Page gives many scenerios throughout the book detailing why it might be opportune for your resident to screw up this procedure or how your plot could go if your character had this injury, etc. In my case, I knew how my character became injured, I just wanted data to flesh out the scene. Sometimes I found his suggestions irritating and other times I found that his prompts actually did set my imagination in motion.

Bottom line: it's a decent reference, a good starting point, but you could be just as well off with Google or Wikipedia.

#17 Spade and Archer: the prequel to Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon by Joe Gores
Category: Hello There
read with: jonesli
2.5 stars

When I tell you that I'm a huge fan of The Maltese Falcon it's not an exaggeration. It's the film that got me watching black & white movies. It's the book that hooked me on things hardboiled. I was very excited about reading a prequel.

The title of this book is Spade and Archer, but there was precious little of the later fellow in it. That was disappointing to me.

Gores kept repeating a few phrases: 'hooked his hip onto the desk' and 'deepened the Vs of his face'. It was beyond annoying. Also, as I was discussing the story with jonesli (my Bogart-buddy), she mentioned that she could not hear Bogey saying Sam's dialogue in this book. Even if you divorce Bogart from Spade (which is very difficult to do) it just didn't feel right. I never connected with the Spade in this story. He felt like an imposter.

Secondly, the book itself is broken into three sections. Each break felt like a fresh start, with new characters and a new case and I hadn't gotten resolution on the old ones yet! I spent much of the book wondering where we were going. Gores eventually allows Spade to tie it all together but I had already mentally moved on by then.

I did enjoy Spade's interaction with both Effie and Iva. Even with the history Gores has given them in this book, there's room for more with Iva. So much more - the potential of it just kills me. Perhaps my expectations were out of line but this book was not even half of what I was hoping it would be.

Such a thin line...

Is it hubris or courage that allows an author to tackle the creations of the original, and well-received, author?

Is it homage or laziness/lack of original thought?

Is it opportunism or a good faith effort?

86 I loved how a book about re-animated corpses felt very much like a re-animated corpse, reading your review. I'll get to Pride and prejudice and zombies eventually, I'm sure. This sequel - probably not.

I'll skip this one and stick to the wonderful original.

Hey guys! Sorry I wasn't around last night. I've been a little under the weather.

citygirl - I think Gores definitely had good intentions. This one just didn't work for me.

GBM - don't despair! If you don't have time for the mashup's prequel, you can always read its sequel. Yes, they did: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After, coming in March. I think I'll pass though.

mstrust - I'm a fan of Austen movies. The books, not so much. I haven't tried Persuasion yet though, so there's hope.

#18 Shadow Man by Cody Macfadyen
Category: Hello There
2.5 stars

FBI Agent Smoky Barrett put down the serial killer she was hunting, but unfortunately not before he raped and mutilated her and killed her family. Now she's a shell of her former self - not even able to pick up her gun, not able to deal with what she would do to herself if she could. Now there's another monster with Smoky in his sights. A man who wants to play the catch-me game and Smoky has no choice but to meet his challenge. It's gruesome and it's personal and it may just be what Smoky needs.

The 'serial killer vs. law enforcement agent' convention is well covered in modern fiction. Do we revel in the shock, the horror, the gore? Do we want to be reassured that our lawpeople can stop the monsters out in the dark? Or is it the battle-of-wills that keeps us enthralled? For me the attraction was the blurb about Smoky herself. I have a thing for wounded FBI agents (not sure what that says about me, but there you are).

It turns out I didn't like Smoky as much as I wanted to but the more I reflect on the story, it's not her fault. It's the writing itself. Serial killers are real and FBI agents are real but Smoky is so not. Truly, a 4'10" woman described with supermodel looks; her supernatural shooting ability that's been apparent since she held a gun as a child, (and as a friend remarked on) the way she gasps at the 'size' of her lover... It's difficult to feel the terror when you're chuckling at a testosterone-fueled fantasy. I know, I know fiction is escapism but this borders on farce. I also didn't care for how some of the secondary characters were written. These things just kept me from embracing the story.

I still have to post my thoughts on Shadow Man too.

#19 Goldfinger by Ian Fleming
Category: Cinematheque Victoria
2.5 stars

Auric Goldfinger, like most of the Bond villains, is a corrupted, resourceful man who wants even more resources. But unlike Dr. No or Mr. Big, I didn't really get Goldfinger. He didn't seem, to me, to be a criminal worthy of 007's time and effort. I mean, he wants to rob Fort Knox, that's so... pedestrian. The Bond books already have a few marks against them because they're so bigoted but I overlook that because at their heart, they're pure escapism. They're exotic. This wasn't.

Can we talk about the golf game? Golf is to Goldfinger as Bacarat is to Casino Royale. Thirty-five pages of golf. It really slowed down the pacing of the book for me. I do, however, give Fleming credit that he was able to write it in such a manner that I could follow it, having no knowledge of golf at all. And that's an improvement, as he lost me in Casino Royale!

Bond is a strong, solitary character. He's a double-0. He's the last defense against a master criminal. That full-stop, end-of-the-line, you-shall-not-pass bulwark that we all fantasize about. But he was so very passive in this book. I don't want to give away spoilers so I'll say the end largely disappointed me.

Not the best Fleming has to offer but not the worst either. Moving along the 007 express....

#20 The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig
Category: My Precious
read with: christina_reads
3.5 stars

Laura Grey comes to Paris with the intention of being the governess in Andre Jaouen's household. She hopes his government position will give her access to information she needs for the Pink Carnation, who knows of Laura as the Silver Orchid - the latest in a chain a spies. But Laura isn't the only one in Andre's household with secrets. As she tutors the children she finds out some startling information about the man himself. They have so much in common, could a man like this really send the innocent to their deaths?
In the modern side of the story, Colin and Eloise go to Paris for his mother's birthday bash. High drama is in the family blood. Will our two love-birds be able to enjoy the City of Lights?

I don't think this one is the best flower in the bouquet, although it's certainly very pretty. It's difficult to put into words. I didn't feel so much of the emotional roller-coaster with this one, it just bubbled along on an even keel. Laura and Andre's moments together never made me catch my breath. I blazed through the book but I wasn't particularly on the edge of my seat. Am I getting too inured to Willig's charms? Maybe, but I don't think so. I certainly hope not!

#21 Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger
Category: Audiobooks
4.5 stars

It's the Christmas season and Cork O' Connor is trying to put the pieces of his life together. His mistake cost him his job. It's ruined his marriage to Jo and his relationship with their children. But one thing he hasn't lost is his commitment to the people of Aurora. There's been a series of violent deaths in town and even though he no longer has a badge, Cork detects the thread joining these events together. All things have their price and returning peace to Aurora has a high cost - it will take all Cork has left.

Cork's story really crosses genres. It's a modern Western - there's Indians and the Land and guns - everybody's packing! Cork is the ultimate white hat. He's a man with a code. A man who, once set in search of the truth, does not stop. He's tenacious. No law, no lock, no relationship is safe. And he's difficult to stop too. In the classic Noir style, he takes beatings and bullets and keeps crawling along until the end. Not that he's impervious, like a lot of tough manly-men characters seem to be. Cork feels deeply and you bleed for him.

Iron Lake won the Anthony Award, the Barry Award, the Minnesota Book Award and the Loft-McKnight Fiction Award and I can see why. It's difficult to believe this is a first novel. Krueger's bio says he's been writing his whole life but he didn't complete a novel until the age of forty. You can tell that he's had all that "practice". The writing is so polished and so evocative. It just grabs me. I really, really like this character and will probably consume the rest of Krueger's series in short order.

>101 VictoriaPL:- Hmm I have that at the library may have to give it a try!Great review!

Starred and added to my wishlist. Good review!

thanks!


#22 Indemnity Only by Sara Paretsky

Category: Hello There
read with: jonesli, RidgewayGirl
3stars

A young man is murdered, his girlfriend missing and, against the wishes of the police detectives, private investigator V.I.Warshawski is on the case. Soon there's big insurance, organized labor and even a nasty mobster rolled into the mix. Seems it won't be such a simple case after all.

So this is where I confess and tell you the reason I picked this book is for the 'V.I.' You see, I share the same initials. Crazy, I know, but there it is. Luckily my middle name isn't Iphigenia!

Paretsky was born in 1947, right at the era of Marlowe and Spade and V.I. feels a lot like them. Her antagonism with the police and banter with the mobster just feel old-school. She can slug it out with the best of them and don't ever call her a broad.

It was a decent read, though obviously a first novel. It felt as though Paretsky was still feeling out V.I. - I'm sure she's improved as the series goes along. I'm not sure if or when I'll get around to more of them.

#105. Haha, I knew one of us would mention Spade/Marlowe.

I'm also very intrigued with Iron Lakde, very good review.

Lastly, 23 books! Excellent!

thanks Lisa!

#23 A Fountain Filled with Blood by Julia Spencer-Fleming
Category: The Magic 8-Ball
5 stars

It's July 4th and there are plenty of fireworks in Millers Kill, New York. Rev. Fergusson is out watching the show during an evening walk when she happens upon the body of an entrepeneur. Was he killed because someone didn't want him to build a resort in town or is his death linked to the recent rash of hate crimes? It's a case that brings Chief Van Alstyne back into Clare's life. They've been avoiding each other ever since Russ dared to confess his feelings towards her. And here's where the real fireworks show begins.

This is the sophomore effort from Spencer-Fleming and I gobbled it down in one day. The hopeless romantic in me continues to be thrilled with Russ and Clare. I'm ashamed to say, I was rude to all who dared interrupt my reading, it was that captivating. These two want so badly to be with each other but each holds the sanctity of marriage and duty to the church in the highest regard. The conflict is handled so well. I'll definitely be reading the next.

#24 Romancing Miss Brontë by Juliet Gael
Category: Brontëana
read with: elbakerone
3.5 stars

Romancing Miss Brontë is a fictionalized account of the lives of the Brontë family, particularly during the period of time Arthur Nicholls worked for the patriarch, Patrick. Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell were living at the parsonage, all having suffered disappointments professionally and most of them heartbroken as well.

Gael used surviving letters and biographies of known friends and associates to map out the framework of their lives and to base herself in the flavor of their speech. She then weaves dialogue and scenery together to create living, breathing characters that feel true.

I was expecting some light, frothy chick-lit but that's not what I found at all. I've always had this notion in my head that Charlotte had a rather good life. She survived to adulthood, she was famous, she married. Certainly she had a "better" life than her siblings, right? This book destroyed that perception. It made me feel the pathos of Charlotte's life. One by one she lost her mother, all four sisters and her brother. Her father lost his sight (twice) and she took on the responsibility of running his household. She escaped briefly to the literary scene in London but suffered from social anxiety. When she finally, at the age of 38, decided to pursue a romance, her father railed against it - after all she had done for him! She stuck it out and married Arthur, went on a honeymoon tour and conceived a child but died before giving birth. It just makes me incredibly sad.

Of the whole book only this one line warmed my heart:

"Egads, man, she's Currer Bell. How do you write a love letter to Currer Bell? I should be quite terrified."


So true. Could you imagine trying to woo a woman like Charlotte Brontë (or say, Jane Austen)? A strong, opinionated, romantic woman who you admired greatly. A woman whose books you had read over and again when you were deprived of her company, just to feel as though you were in her presence.

I guess I got my dose of Chick-lit after all...

I have about 5 of the Spencer -Fleming books, I think I may have to bump them up. I enjoyed the first and now the second sounds great too, you are not helping me stick to my list.

**wanders off... how can I fit everything into the this year?**

>109 cyderry: Cheli - I'm in the middle of the third one now. I really loved the second one. I think Lisa (jonesli) also just got bit by the Spencer-Fleming bug. I haven't read this many mysteries in a long time. I'm having a blast but I had cautioned myself to make more room for sci-fi this year. Oh well...

#109 and 110, yep I most certainly did get bit by the Spencer-Fleming bug. You know it doesn't take much for me to pick up a mystery, I read more than my fair share of them.

But there is something about this first book that has me riveted and I downloaded the next two! It's very different from others that I have read. I literally can't wait to see what happens next.

#25 The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Category: Talk to the Hand
Read with: 11-11 Group
3.5 stars

I can still remember the first time I saw this book. I was at a library sale. It was not long since they had opened the doors and the place was still very packed with bodies. I read the spine and out of instinct, perhaps remembering the title, I reached and put my fingers on it. From behind me I heard a man gasp. A friend who had come with me leaned over and whispered "you really should get that one." I pulled it free from the shelf and placed it into my bag, pretending to be oblivious to the quivering lip and small sigh from the man who had lost out - pleased and yet guilty over my new acquisition.

It would have been logical for me to have read it first seeing as how lauded, how sought after it was, but no. Isn't there always a more shiny, attractive book that demands attention? I am ashamed at how long it sat on my TBR shelves. What a blow I must have dealt to its dignity. But finally the time came.

I started the book after my work day was complete. I took it with me on the treadmill and began to read. It was the perfect book for that, really, because I found I would walk any distance just to keep flipping pages. I was absolutely engrossed in the story. Now I understood the fascination people had for this book. What a love letter to book-people!

That feeling didn't last though. Not completely. The last two-thirds didn't hold me as tightly. I was underwhelmed. My mind kept going back to a book I read last year, Her Fearful Symmetry. There are similar themes: twins, ghosts, twisted family relationships. I'm not sure if I lost interest because I felt it was familiar territory or what. But there it is. It is a good tale and definitely worth a read. Try and find a copy when you go to the next library sale.

Love the personal story of how you came to acquire a copy of The Thirteenth Tale. Thanks for organizing the group read, I really enjoyed it!

Yes, thanks Victoria. This was a book that really got to me, I loved it from cover to cover. I wonder if it was the perfect book due to timing, I read it while recovering from my arthritic hip drugged to the eyeballs!! :)

#26 Out of the Deep I Cry by Julia-Spencer Fleming
Category: The Magic 8-Ball
3.5 stars

Yes, another Spencer-Fleming. This is book#3. Her books are so yummy, I'm just gobbling them down like Junior Mints.

This once focuses on two disappearances, a generation apart, both centered around the Ketchem family. There's Diphtheria, demonstrations, bootlegged liquor, gun-waving, foot-chases and a leaky church roof. I promise you, it all ties in.

There's a lot of heartache here. While the "older" story didn't quite hold my attention all of the time (particularly in the beginning), it did tug at my heartstrings. Clare and Russ are at a difficult stage too. They're breaking under the strain of their mutual attraction and the vows that keep them apart. I really enjoy the way Spencer-Fleming has written their relationship. I can't wait to see how it evolves in future books.

@112 It's the strangest thing, really, how the feeling of "I die if I don't buy this book today" can lose almost all of it's urgency on the bus home. I rest safely in the knowledge, though, that every dusty tome in our bookshelves will have it's day. And that occasionally a book will come along that I just can't understand why I waited that long to pick up, seeing how it's just changed my life a little.

Buying books is almost as fun as reading them.

I've never read any of Julia Spencer-Fleming's work, so it looks like I'll have to check out the first book. "Thanks" for that! :) And, I'm getting ready to start The Thirteenth Tale for the group read (yes, I know I'm very late). I've heard it's certainly written for book people, so that makes it even more appealing.

And GBM, have truer words ever been written? I think not...

I agree, Laura, Anders has something there.
I hope you will hop on the Spencer-Fleming bandwagon and I can't wait to discuss The Thirteenth Tale with you later!

#27 Wuthering Heights: The Wild and Wanton Edition by Emily Brontë and Beth Williamson
Category: Brontëana
2.5 stars

This was my second reading of Emily Brontë's masterpiece in little more than a month's time but I didn't mind the repetition because I knew it would be substantially different. How? That would be the "wanton" part. Yes, Haworth meets Harlequin - perfect for Valentine's Day, or so I thought.
Wuthering Heights is already such a passionate novel, I didn't think I'd mind a little embellishment here and there. After all, little Hareton, Linton and Cathy were beget in the natural way and we all knew what was occurring between the pages of our beloved classic.
While additions like Catherine and Heathcliff's desperate clutch out on the turbulent moors, or even Hareton's wild pursuit of Cathy in the Heights were entertaining, what I (quickly) grew tired of was Lockwood's incessant masturbation. So if that puts you off - be forewarned. I am convinced dear Em is fairly unquiet in her grave to see the poor man thus represented.
So, it's bawdy, which is nothing new to the British, but it was a bit heavy-handed for me. Back into the cloisters with my virginal original I go.

#28 Bedlam: The Further Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte by Laura Joh Rowland
Category: Brontëana
2 stars

Hoping to provide inspiration, fellow author William Thackeray makes arrangements for Charlotte to tour Bedlam, asylum for the insane. While there she spies a man who bares a remarkable resemblance to the secret agent she gave her heart to years ago, Mr. John Slade. However, this man professes not to know her. But our Charlotte is tenacious and she won't give up on her heart's desire so easily.
I loved Charlotte's and John's first adventure and I wanted so badly for this tale to eclipse the first. I fell asleep on it a few times. I considered abandoning it. There was a certain plot point in here that should have thrilled me but it didn't. Where did the magic go? Perhaps I've read too much of Charlotte in the past two months.

That sounds quite funny -- Wuthering Heights: Now with Extra Masturbation, but not quite funny enough to actually read it.

I agree with Alison. Sounds very much like "more fun to read about than to read" to me. Still: I plan on re-reading Wuthering heights for this year's challenge, and it's good to know where to turn should I find the original appalingly lacking in the sticky fingers department.

#29 The Hollow Kingdom: Book 1 of the Hollow Kingdom Trilogy by Clare B Dunkle
Category: Children & Young Adult
4 stars

Kate and Emily are new to Hallow Hill. They lose their way in the twilight and soon a strange band of men appear, offering to escort them. Unmarried maids have been known to disappear after dark and Kate has an odd feeling about their leader. She follows her gut, does her best to avoid him but he appears to her again night after night. No locked door seems able to keep him out and her family doesn't believe her. He is the Goblin King, Marek, and he intends to have Kate for his bride.

When I was a little girl I was fond of The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald and I guess that fondness remains, for when I read the blurb about The Hollow Kingdom I knew I wanted to give it a try.
It's very well done YA and I enjoyed it. The goblin kingdom is vividly imagined and I thought Dunkle was quite original in the details she included. I loved the snake charm.
It's somewhat of a beauty-and-the-beast tale and like most YA books, it's about Kate growing up. Even though the other goblins call Marek "elf-pretty", he'd never pass as a handsome human but he's a good King and they know he cares about them. There's a lot in here about humans, goblins and elves - they hate and fear each other and yet they need each dynamic to survive. I think this series could well be used to talk to kids about racism.

#33 Close Kin: Book 2 of the Hollow Kingdom trilogy by Clare B. Dunkle
Category: Children & Young Adult
2.5 stars

When her sister Kate became the Goblin King's Wife, Emily also came to live underground. Emily finds the goblins fascinating, their kingdom is beautiful to her and she loves her new life. She's become good friends with Seylin, a goblin whose elf-looks make him a target and keeps him apart from the others. One day after a squabble, Seylin leaves the kingdom to search out the elves, perhaps take a bride, and Emily, following her heart, goes after him.

Goblin-Elf-Human biases come to the forefront with this book and I have to admit, I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as the first. The conversations between the elf girls and the goblin men are so repetitive it just bored me to no end. I think Seylin and Emily's romance could have been so much more if it had not been sacrificed for the rhetoric.

119: Eeee-yew. Who sits there and thinks, I know how I'll make Wuthering Heights even more entertaining...have the unsexy busybody tenant spank his monkey over and over again! I mean, who does that?

What? How many unattractive, single and approaching middle age guys masturbate a lot? Is that a number you really want to know?

No, silly. (And, no, I don't need a number. What's the latest census count?) I mean, who decides that readers would enjoy descriptions of Lockwood's solitary habits? Or does he have Nellie as an audience? I don't think she would like that at all.

Well, Nellie and Lockwood weren't exactly strangers by the end of the tale, if you know what I mean...
You guys are exactly what I need after a horrible week at work. I took the afternoon off, had a long walk in the sunshine and cuddled with my furry ones when I got home. Now that peace of mind is restored, I'll try and catch up on some more of my late reviews!

#30 The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
Category: The Watercooler
3.5 stars

"Watching the other members of the class, he found himself wondering where they had come from, what it was they brought with them, as if they, too, were recipes he might come to understand.

The School of Essential Ingredients isn't just a monthly cooking lesson, it's a time for Lillian to work her mojo on her students. It's not about learning a recipe but about the transformative catalyst of food. By opening themselves up to new experiences, new sensations, they rectify the deficiencies in their lives.

She felt about her zester the way some women do about a pair of spiky red shoes - a frivolous splurge, good only for parties, but oh so lovely."

This book reminded me very much of the Joanne Harris phase I went through last year. The way both women write about food is so seductive and charming. You should definitely read it, but eat something before you do. I was ravenous when I finally put it down!

Thanks to RidgewayGirl for suggesting this one to me!

#31 The The Survivors Club: The Secrets and Science that Could Save Your Life by Ben Sherwood
Category: Health
3 stars

The drunk cruise passenger who fell overboard from a ship and was alone in the water for 18 hours; A stewardess who free-falls six miles when a bomb explosion ejects her from the plane; A suicide who changes his mind once his feet leave the Golden Gate Bridge; A cyclist hit by a truck who broke every major bone in her body.... and they all lived to tell about it.

What allowed these people to survive when so many others don't? Can survival be taught? Can it be learned?

This book was not exactly what I thought it was going to be. I guess I expected tips about sucking water from a cactus or applying a tourniquet after cutting off an arm or something... and that's not what you'll find here. Instead it's more a book about those who study survival and conjecture about the traits survivors have in common. Sherwood talks about faith, luck, optimism and even whether you are right- or left-handed. It is an interesting read and certainly makes you ponder whether your intangible strengths can get you through a physical challenge.

> I've got that one on my TBR pile may have to bump it up

It is an interesting read and certainly makes you ponder whether your intangible strengths can get you through a physical challenge.

I would die right away.

@131 -- So are you more or less likely to survive if you're left-handed? (I'm a southpaw, so I'm just curious!)

Another curious southpaw who wants to know here!

Third curious southpaw bouncing through and would also like to know .... and nice to know I am in good company!

Sorry guys.... left-handers don't fare well in the statistics.

pg 205 The Survivors Club

"Among 10-year olds, 15% are left-handed. Fast-forward to fifty-year-olds and the lefty share shrinks to only 5%. Jump to eighty-year-olds and - remarkably - fewer than 1% are left-handed."

"Left-handed women die four years and ten months sooner than right-handed women. But it's much worse for lefty men. Their life expectancy is ten years and one month shorter than for righties."

"Lefties are 89% more likely to end up in accidents requiring medical attention and six times more likely to die in these situations."

Well geez.... with those stats I might as well stay home and read books ;-)

I always knew it - lefties are living in a right hand world!

What I want to know is: When is this information collected? Is there some candy-striper who makes the rounds with a clipboard?

lkernagh -
Staying home and reading books sounds good. But stay in the house. True story - I thought reading outside in the hammock in the sunshine would be refreshing. Ours is a double hammock (for two people). I thought when I got in that I was far enough in the middle for the weight distribution to be all right but I was mistaken. In a split second it flipped me over onto the ground. Hard. I have not made that mistake again!

Haha, this is not good news for me...though I can't say I'm surprised, given my own record of clumsiness! :)

I'm always suspicious of statistics... I remember it being a big deal when I was in gradeschool, in the late 1950s, that left-handed children weren't being "changed." And still, in the early 1960s, I remember my mother discussing it with her friends, since my brother was a lefty. Someone who is 80 today would have been born in 1930, and most lefties then were probably forced to become right-handed. I wouldn't expect there to be many 80-year-old lefties for at least another 20 or so years...

>142 ivyd: - You're probably right. I know a lady in her early 90s who's left-handed. She told me that when she was in grade school, some teachers would hit her hand until it was all black and blue in an effort to get her to be right-handed. According to her, it just made her want to be left-handed even more.

#32 The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff
Category: The Watercooler
4stars

After getting herself into a messy situation with her married lover/professor, Willie Upton returns to the family residence in Templeton. Her home life has never been particularly good and after an exchange with her mother, Willie learns that her father wasn't an unknown hippie, in fact, he's a descendant of one of the city's founding fathers. Willie is a trained digger, an archeologist, and so she sets to work unearthing the truth about her family roots.

I'll warn you straight off, The Monsters of Templeton is the kind of literary fiction where you really don't care about the plot or frame because you get lost in how beautiful the prose is. I was listening to it in audiobook format and it was just a siren-song to me. I felt everything else drift away, each gorgeous chapter was like shag carpet to wiggle my toes in as I sat in Willie's house and watched as she showed me a photo album of her ancestors. I cried and laughed at all the appropriate places and had a wonderful visit.

I tried not to have a one-author category this year, but Spencer-Fleming is just dominating my 8-Ball category. I can't resist her!

#34 To Darkness and to Death by Julia Spencer-Fleming
Category: The Magic 8-Ball
read with: jonesli
4 stars

It's Russ Van Alstyne's 50th birthday and he's got the day off. No traffic violations to write, no problems at city hall, just some deer hunting and then a party later with his wife. A party that most of Millers Kill are invited to, including more-than-friend Clare Fergusson. This birthday will be one Russ will never forget.

I liked the all-in-one-day premise and it was nice to see Spencer-Fleming trying out a different technique. Nice tension in this one, especially the end. Solid entry in the series.

#35 All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming
Category: The Magic 8-Ball
read with: jonesli
5 stars

For two years the gossip around Millers Kill about chief of police Russ Van Alstyne and Episcopal priest Clare Fergusson has been rampant. When a friend finds Linda Van Alstyne butchered in her own kitchen, Russ and Clare become the primary suspects.

I loved this book. It thrilled me to no end, well, until the very end anyway. The emotions in this one were just ramped up all the way past maximum and when I finished the last page, I felt like a blown-out speaker. More please!

Backing up a bit, I really liked The Thirteenth Tale which I read when it first came out and you've got me interested in moving Her Fearful Symmetry up my tbr pile. Which did you end up liking more?

Hey Kerry!
Well, I gave The Thirteenth Tale 3.5 stars and Her Fearful Symmetry 3. I would have to agree that I do favor Tale slightly. Both have a lovely gothic mood and then there's the whole eerie twin thing going on. I won't reveal one of my main reasons because that might spoil a plot point of Symmetry for you. If you do read it please let me know what you think. Thanks for stopping by!

@137 Well damn, not only wasn't I taught knitting or calligraphy at school, not only is my hand aching from mouse-clicking with the middle finger, not only couldn't I slice bread evenly for the life of me; said life is also expected to be ten years shorter than for right-handed people? No fair!

What we lack in life expectancy, we make up for in smarts so all is not lost for us southpaws!

@140 I did some lazy internet research and apparently that statistic IS indeed dubious at best. According to the swedish q&a site 118100 notion that lefties live shorter is based on a controverial study made by the company Halpern and Coren in 1980. They used second hand information - sending surveys to relatives of recently deceased - and a much to small group to draw any conclusive evidence from.

I will sleep easily tonight :)

Well that's good to know!

Sorry I've been so scarce around here lately. I got a new laptop (yay!) but the migration from my old laptop didn't go so well (boo!) and fixing everything is taking up most of my free time. I hope to catch up soon.

You never told us what you thought about The Peach Keeper!

You're right! I meant to start a new thread... It won't happen tonight, but sometime soon. Promise.

Part Deux!
http://www.librarything.com/topic/114706