Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Off Topic 50-Book Challenge 2010

9.Swan For the Money Donna Andrews
10. Peach Cobbler Murder Joanne Fluke
11.Godwulf Manuscript Robert B. Parker
12.'E' Is For Evidence Sue Grafton
13.'F' Is For Fugitive Sue Grafton
14. Kisser Stuart Woods - Boy, the older he gets the more sex he has!!

You know, suez, the problem I had with Grafton's books is that they're *too* precise - Kinsey Milhone's cases come at an actual time and date. The trouble is that it takes longer for the author to write the books than it does for the character to solve the mystery. I think they were in sync at the beginning, but time is elapsing.

It's been awhile since I read the last Grafton, but as I recall, Kinsey was stuck in the 1980's and Grafton is writing in 2007 (or thereabouts).

I contrast it with the Perry Mason mysteries, where things are deliberately left vague. So now, even today, (in my opinion) the Mason mysteries can still be generalized to the current time.

(Except for all the smoking. And the change of society's attitudes towards and about women. And the casual acceptance of what would be considered police brutality today... um, maybe I spoke too soon.)

Suez listed "The Godwulf Manuscript" by Robert B. Parker, one of his early Spenser mysteries and one of the better ones. Sadly, Parker died of a heart attack earlier this month at his writing desk. Not the worst way for a scribe to leave his publisher behind.

Okay, here are my books for this year. I'm using our public library quite liberally now instead of buying books. Drat those monthly bills!

1) Born to be Wild by Catharine Coulter. A stand-alone mystery about a daytime soap-opera actress who is stalked by a scary "admirer" and who is also quite a nice all-around person. Interesting story, but the main character is too nice at the beginning and experiences lots of interesting situations but very little character growth.
2) Shakespeare's Christmas
3) Shakespeare's Trollop
4) Shakespeare's Counselor by Charlaine Harris. Yes, the same Charlaine Harris who wrote the Sookie Stackhouse vampire books on which the HBO series "True Blood" is based. The Shakespeare books have no vampires, just real-life angst and murder. Series mystery.
5) The Blitzkreig Myth
6) The Iron Cross: Germany 1918-1945 by John Mosier. These 20th century history books claim to explain what really happened in Europe during the first and second World Wars. He buttresses his case with facts and figures and lots of footnotes, and he comes to some interesting conclusions.
7) Children of Armenia by Michael Bobelian. Documents the genocide of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire (now Turkey) in the late 19th and early 20th century and traces the consequences from the early 1920's to 2007 (publication date). Not for the squeamish, but a gripping read.
8) Life After Death: The Evidence by Dinesh D'Souza. This is one I'm going to buy and re-read every once in a while. The author makes a fascinating case that there is a large body of evidence outside any religious doctrine that death is not the end of our existence.

Suez listed "The Godwulf Manuscript" by Robert B. Parker, one of his early Spenser mysteries and one of the better ones. Sadly, Parker died of a heart attack earlier this month at his writing desk. Not the worst way for a scribe to leave his publisher behind.


I did not know this!! I feel so bad!! I loved his writing.

Just finished reading
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society
by Shaffer and Barrows.

Wonderful book, couldn't put it down.

Set in the Guernsey islands in 1946, just after the Nazi occupation, it moves between the islanders' recollections of the occupation and their present. At times, it's really funny and yet sometimes there's an undercurrent of loss and brutality. I hate to use the word 'heart-warming' but it truly is, although definitely not in a schmaltzy, tacky way, but in a way that is insightful and reassuring.

It's wonderful! (i know, I said that already , but it is) Filled with memorable characters, too.

(i should add though, that whereas there are no vampires in this book, it may not be to everyone's taste)

c.

Oh, man, I loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society! It was a great book. (Read it last year so it's not on my list.)

Interesting that it's an epistolary novel - told only in the form of letters from one person to another. I haven't read a whole lot of those. One of the latest I remember reading is "Ella Minnow Pea" by (I forgot) which is a book where more and more letters are removed from the permissible alphabet. That sort of thing has a name too but I forgot what it's called.

Anyone else with a good epistolary novel they can recommend?

I'm starting slowly this year - I've been spending my free time so far more on watching the huge pile of DVDs that are pending, rather than reading. But I have read:

The Earthsea Quartet - Ursula Le Guin

Despite developing an interest in SFantasy from an early age, I'd never read these. Then, over Christmas I found myself watching HBO's Earthsea. It was fairly mediocre, but it got me interested enough in the characters and world to go buy this four books in one edition.

Sadly, it turned out that the TV adaptation had very little in common with the novels and the parts which aren't in the books, were the parts which interested me.

#7 A Wizard of Earthsea
#8 The Tombs of Atuan
#9 The Furthest Shore
#10 Tehanu

Some were more interesting to me than others, but the writing style in all of them was lacking for me. It needed more drama, more passion in telling the story and I was bored quite a bit of the time, sadly.

LabRat

25. The Day We Found The Universe by Marcia Bartusiak. An interesting history of the revolution in astronomy from about 1890-1935 or thereabouts, when leading astronomers discovered nebulas, Cepheid variables, the expanding universe, the theory of relativity, and other things that helped us understand the size of the universe. It's not just the Milky Way anymore, folks! Better than I'm making it sound.

And LabRat - I have to agree with you on "Wizard of Earthsea" - it's a yawner. Strange, because I really liked Ursula LeGuin's other book, the classic "The Left Hand of Darkness", set on Winter, the planet where all the people are hermaphrodites. (They come into kemmer, or sexual receptivity, about once a month. They may be male or female that month.)

It's told from the POV of the Ekumen Ambassador who is sent there to bring them into the fold. As he says, "There, one is not judged as male or female, merely as a person. It is an appalling experience." (Not sure I have the quote right but it's something like that.)

I also liked Le Guin's "Four Ways To Forgiveness" and if anyone has read that, let me know what you thought about it.

Well, I'm doing better with one you recommended, Iolan.

I read a Lois McMaster Bujold book several years ago and it bored me to tears. Can't remember which one it was, now. But a while back, I picked up Paladin of Souls in the charity shop and kept it on my shelf because the blurb sounded interesting and it was a lovely edition. I briefly thought about buying book one and actually reading it, but never got there!

Then I saw your post and decided to give it a go. Bought a second-hand copy of Curse of Chalion. It's early days yet - I'm just at the point where Iselle and her friends ride into the keep, but have to say that I'm really enjoying it so far. Love the characters.

In the meantime, I'm updating with:

#11 Pillars of Creation - Terry Goodkind

Yup, still working my way through this series. Have to say that this one might be my favourite of all of them. I was glad that we were dealing with all new characters because after the first few books I found Richard and Kahlan to be boring. Mostly, I think, because their story, for me, really seemed to be finished with not a lot else to say several books back.

I liked the characters in this one and there was enough drama and tension to keep me interested. I especially liked the thought processes of Oba and the way in which he twisted the responses of other people to him to fit in with his theory of himself as being a great king everyone admired and respected. It was a persuasive characteristation of a sociopath.

I did think it all ended too abruptly and conveniently - complete with goat which must have had the swiftest pregnancy ever in the history of creation - but, what the heck, I'm never loath to read a happy ending.

LabRat

Labrat, I hope you like "The Curse of Chalion". To me, it was one of the best books I've read in the past ten years. But everyone has different likes and dislikes, so a book that speaks to me might not speak to you. Thanks for trying it. Let me know what you think!

Iolan, I'm about a third of the way through and absolutely adoring it, so far. I can certainly see what you love about these books. Wonderful characters. And she's already had me in tears once (the Provincara's indignant reaction to poor Cazaril's story. )I'm at that stage where I'm trying not to read it too fast because I don't want it to end too soon.

I did a bit of research yesterday and realised that most of LMB's novels are pure SF - the Miles V series? - which was probably the book I read that didn't agree with me. This is more down to the fact that my tastes run more to SFantasy and medieval worlds than laser pistols and spaceships these days, so it was probably no surprise that I didn't get anywhere with that one.

But this one is definitely destined to have a cherished place on my shelves and be read and re-read through the years, I suspect. Can't wait to find out what happens next.

LabRat

Thanks, LabRat. I think you won't regret reading it. Be sure to check out the sequel.

26. The Dilbert Future by Scott Adams. The author makes hilarious predictions about the future based on "Things that will never change - people are stupid, selfish, and horny." Liberally illustrated with comic strips about our favorite cubicle dweller.

27. The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become The Smartest Person In The World by A.J. Jacobs. From the jacket blurb: "Part memoir and part education (or lack thereof), The Know-It-All chronicles A.J. Jacobs' hilarious, enlightening, and seemingly impossible quest to read the Encyclopaedia Britannica from A to Z."

There's something funny on every page. The author makes comments about the topics he's reading in the Britannica. For example:

"Las Vegas - Mormons were the first settlers. Not sure Joseph Smith would approve of today's topless showgirls and liquor. Though he would like the volcano at the Mirage. Everybody likes the volcano."

"Glyndwr - A district in Wales. Please buy a vowel."

"Proust, Marcel - It wasn't a madeleine. In real life, Proust's memories were sparked by a rusk biscuit, which is basically another name for zweiback toast. He changed it when he wrote Remembrance of Things Past. What's wrong with zweiback? I'm just guessing, but I smell a corrupt product placement deal with the madeleine industry."

28. U Is For Undertow by Sue Grafton. Another fun story featuring P.I. Kinsey Millhone in her series of abecedarian mysteries. Grafton always comes through.

15. Cherry Cheesecake Murder Joanne Fluke

16. Candy Cane Murder Joanne Fluke

17. Worst Case James Patterson - I don't read much of his books anymore. But I do like this new series.

18. Wicked Craving G.A. McKevett

19. G Is For Gumshoe Sue Grafton

20. Comeback Dick Francis

21. Promised Land Robert B. Parker - this is the last Spenser book I needed to read. I will miss all of Parker's series. I guess there are a couple more books they can publish.

Well, I still haven't finished The Bourne Supremacy, but I did download and listen to the most recent Discworld novel on my iPod. So I've got a list of ONE!

1. Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett

I've also been listening to the other 36 Discworld novels while I'm at work, but since I just have them on for background noise/concentration purposes (and since I listened to them all last year anyway--some two or more times) I'm not counting them in this year's list.

I think you *should* count them! You have listened to the books, you've taken the time, you probably remember the plots - in every significant way, you've read the books!

(Besides, I gave myself credit for a 700-page book when I only read the last 100 pages in 2010. So let's not get too persnickety here, or (God forbid) I might have to take a book off *my* list!)

I'm not counting them this year, because I counted them last year, and I'm not really following the plots as I listen this year anyway. I just need some noise in my ears so that I don't go crazy from the mostly-quiet at work.

If I start a book at the end of one year, and finish it at the beginning of the next (no matter how few pages were left) then I always count it for the year I finished it.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I hesitated to mention this book because it's been on the NYTimes bestsellers list and also because it's a bit controversial ( the voice appropriation issue.) But it's a wonderful book - wonderful characters. Set in Mississsippi in the early 1960's. At first, it doesn't seem to be about very much, and yet it's about everything important. I was hooked from the first page.

c.

#12 The Curse of Chalion - Lois McMaster Bujold

Most of my thoughts on this one are already recorded. Suffice to say it never disappointed me and is definitely a keeper - one to be re-read and cherished down the years.

#13 Paladin of Souls - Lois McMaster Bujold

I was a bit disappointed when I realised that this sequel was focusing on Ista - as she was the least interesting character for me in CoC. However - I was wrong. Just a couple of paragraphs in I was hooked and we were off on another wonderful adventure with plenty of action, romance and humour to keep me amused and my heart in my mouth along the way. You know a book is a keeper when it leaves you with a huge smile on your face and quietly chuckling as you close it on the final page.

I'm eagerly awaiting LMB's The Hallowed Hunt to arrive and will definitely by checking her other Fantasy books. Hope she writes many more in the future, too!

LabRat

LabRat, I just loved "Paladin"! And a theme running through those two books - yes, we have free will. But what if we surrender that will to that of the gods (as happens in the book?) Very thought-provoking.

Also, if you liked "Curse of Chalion" and "Paladin of Souls", try out LMB's "The Spirit Ring". It's one of her earlier novels and it's rewarding.

In fact, reading about you reading LMB made me pull some of her books off the shelf and re-read them:

The Sharing Knife: (it's a tetralogy) by Lois McMaster Bujold.
29. Beguilement
30. Legacy
31. Passage
32. Horizon

More by one of my favorite authors. Fawn Bluefield is an unhappily pregnant unwed young woman running away from home. The bad guys capture her and evil things are about to happen when she's saved by Dag Redwing, the Lakewalker. That's in the first two chapters. And a lot more happens after that.

In-laws. Outlaws. Quests. Bandits. Magic (of a sort.) Wolves. Alligators. Saving the world. True love.

Don't miss it.

33. The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Quest to Follow The Bible As Literally As Possible by A.J. Jacobs.

By the author of "The Know-It-All". From the jacket blurb: "A tale of a year spent by the author, who decides to obey every commandment in the Bible (not just the usual Ten.) He vows to avoid wearing clothes of mixed fibers; to play a ten-string harp; to stone adulterers. He immerses himself in prayer, tends sheep in the Israeli desert, battles idolatry, and tells the absolute truth in all situations - much to his wife's chagrin. Plus, he doesn't trim his beard for a year.

He visits a Kentucky-based creationist museum. He sings hymns with Pennsylvania Amish. He dances with Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn and does Scripture study with Jehovah's Witnesses. He discovers ancient biblical wisdom of startling relevance."

Lots of fun.

34.The Messenger by Daniel Silva.

Another in the series of thrillers staring Gabriel Allon, art restorer and Israeli intelligence agent. Couldn't put it down.

Iolan, thanks for the rec for Spirit Ring. I'd actually been put off it by what the Amazon reviews said - it was an early work, it wasn't her best, yadda, yadda, but I think I'll give it a try after all.

I have Sharing Knife on my wish list, just waiting for my itching fingers to buy. I swore blind I really wasn't going to buy another book until I have the ones pending read through. Which are enough reading to take me through to the end of April, at least, I reckon. But I may just have to make an exception for these.

I had been dubious about these, too, as the reviews weren't too hot - until I got to review no. 5 or so and they were complaining that there was a human/wolf bond. Well, that was enough to change my mind right there. I am such a sucker for bonds between humans and animals in my fantasy reading and wolves and dragons are especial favourites. So, that was me hooked.

So I'm really looking forward to reading these.

LabRat