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

OK, everyone, the new year is here, so it's time to start new lists! I'll start.

1. The Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons.
Not sure if this counts, because it's 700 pages, and I only read the last 100 in 2010.
Recommended, even for those (like me) who don't know a lot about basketball, because it's just so much darn fun to read! Bill Simmons (columnist on ESPN.com, known as The Sports Guy) has a way of mixing popular culture with sports. Plus, he has the most excellent footnotes. (who else would compare basketball players to characters in the "Godfather" movies?)

2. Off Armageddon Reef
3. By Schism Rent Asunder
4. By Heresies Distressed
All by David Weber, probably best known for the science fiction "Honor Harrington" series. Fun if you like descriptions of naval combat in the days of sailing ships (and even if you don't, it's obvious the author has Done The Research, so he makes it interesting.) Also an interesting science-fictional take on the Reformation. Better than I'm making it sound.

5. The Pigman by Paul Zindel.
Can you believe that this has been out for so many years and I've never read it till now? Marketed as a Young Adult (YA) book but thought-provoking and interesting to just about all ages over thirteen.

6. Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce.
Enjoyable YA book set in Pierce's world of Tortall, where Beka Cooper, apprentice Dog (policewoman) takes on a counterfeiting ring.

Yay, a new year and a new thread! Thanks for starting it.

I don't actually have anything to add right now - I've been reading non-stop as usual, but I'm too lazy to go back and work out which books I read at the end of 2009 and which were the start of this year. I was on a bit of a Robert Crais kick, devouring everything I could get by him, including two I got at Christmas which were stand-alones. Hostage and The Two Minute Rule. I enjoyed them although I do miss Joe and Elvis.

At the moment, I've just begun Tana French's The Likeness. I have high hopes for this as I thought her first novel - In The Woods - was one of the most original I'd read in years. I'll be back when I've finished it and a few others. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else has been reading this year, so far....

LabRat

I finished off with 176 books for 2009. Wow!!
So far this year I have read:

1. The Penguin Who Knew Too Much - Donna Andrews
this author has a series of light mysteries. Every title has a bird in it.

2. 'D' is for Deadbeat - Sue Grafton
I never knew about this author. She has written every letter of the alphabet up to U. I guess I have a lot of her reading ahead of me.

I am almost done with a book by Dick Francis. I like his books. Though I've only read 2 so far!
Sue

I'm in for this year. I started out with a large box of books I was given free. First one on the top of the box... 1) Saving Grace by Sarah Brady, Patrick Crowley & Eric Deters. A quick read, typical true crime story.

2) Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction By David Michaels.

I enjoy this series. It keeps my attention and moves quickly.

I finished off with 66 books for 2009. I would've had 67, but I just could not get myself to sit down at home and finish The Bourne Supremacy after I got laid off from the job where I'd been reading it at lunch time. I'll finish it eventually though, and then go on to other books for this year.

Happy reading all!

3) On Call In Hell by Richard Jadick

Autobiography of a military doctor during the Iraq War. Interesting and a quick read.

4) Evil Twins by John Glatt.

True crime stories. Another from my box of freebies.

7. Exile's Honor
8. Take a Thief
9. Arrows of the Queen all by Mercedes Lackey. Comfort reading, all about the land of Valdemar.

10. The Bone Collector by Jeffrey Deaver. You know, I'd never read any of Deaver's works about quadriplegic forensic specialist Lincoln Rhyme and policewoman Amelia Sachs before. Great book, full of tension and suspense, unexpected plot twists, lots of scary blood and gore. Recommended.

11. Blood Noir by Laurell K. Hamilton. An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novel, although I think, not one of her best. Worth reading to keep up on the series.

5) Laugh Lines by Wayne Osmond

A collection of jokes. A fun book to read. This one is getting passed on to my brother.

1. Tana French - The Likeness

As I've previously said, I was really looking forward to this one as I found her debut novel was excellent. I have to say that this one wasn't as brilliant as that one. I had some problems believing the huge coincidence that underpinned the core of the novel and it was slow to start with - 150 pages of people sitting around talking about their plan of action. Once the main character actually started the undercover work then it took off and I enjoyed it a lot. I think any second novel would have suffered slightly in comparison to the first - for me at least - and it would have been hard to match or top it. So, all in all, a really good read.

LabRat

6) Dark Of The Moon by John Sandford

A murder mystery. Good story and writing but it drags. It would have benefited by cutting about 20% to tighten it up.

2. P J Tracy - Dead Run
3. P J Tracy - Live Bait

I discovered this author (authors) in a charity shop a few years back and really enjoyed them. These two, which I got at Christmas, have elevated them right to the top of my thriller list though. Great reads, both of them. A terrific cast of characters and a good rollercoaster plot, with plenty of twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat.

I enjoyed them so much, I was inspired to go back and read the other two:

4. P J Tracy - SnowBlind
5. P J Tracy - Want To Play?

6 Matt Hilton - Dead Men's Dust

I was inspired to buy this as it looked at though it may be in the same ballpark as Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels. So I was really looking forward to it. Sadly, for me, it didn't work. Firstly, I discovered too late that it was set in Britain, which rarely works for me, barring a few notable exceptions which grace my shelves.

But I soldiered on. I soon found myself skimming large sections though. Dreadfully dull characters, excruciating dialogue - I only really read the bits about the serial killer and even that character was less than engaging. So a bit of a miss all round then. Never mind - Jack Reacher's back soon and on pre-order at Amazon.

LabRat

3. Hot Money Dick Francis

4. Cockatils At Seven Donna Andrews

5. Six Geese A-Slaying Donna Andrews

6. Lemon Meringue Pie Murder Joanne Fluke

7. Fudge Cupcake Murder Joanne Fluke

8. Sugar Cookie Murder Joanne Fluke - her books come with many recipes.

7) Quofum by Alan Dean Foster.

Entertaining, well written story.

8) But I Trusted You by Ann Rule.

True crime stories. Very well written. I don't think I've ever read a bad book by Ann Rule.

12. Gate of Darkness, Circle of Light by Tanya Huff. I think Huff is an underrated writer - I always enjoy her stories, many of which have a distinctly Canadian setting. In this early novel, Darkness tries to take over the world, starting in Toronto, and our only hope is a Circle of rather odd heroes.

13. The Fire's Stone by Tanya Huff. This was in a double edition with the previous novel. A quest novel, decent and competent.

14. Bridge of the Separator by Harry Turtledove. I enjoyed Turtledove's "Legion" series, where a Roman legion from the time of Julius Caesar was suddenly transported to another world - Videssos, which is a thinly disguised Byzantine Empire. What would have happened if the Byzantines of the 11th century had fought the fatal Battle of Manzikert with a tough Roman legion on their side? You can find out by reading the Legion series.

"Bridge of the Separator" is a prequel, giving the backstory of the major villain in the Legion series. Not as good as the Legion series, but still fun for completists.

15. Between The Rivers by Harry Turtledove. Interesting tale of life "between the rivers" (primitive Mesopotamia) where gods walk the earth and deal directly with the lives of men. And what men do in return. Turtledove has done his homework. Dialogue and situations are very consistent with what's known about Babylonia in the days of cuneiform. (As far as I know.) Worth reading.

16. The Maquisarde by Louise Marley. I get frustrated by Louise Marley because she has some good ideas but I never like the way she develops them. It's probably just me. In this book, Ebriel Serique's life is changed and she joins the Resistance. OK but not compelling. It did hold my interest long enough for me to finish it, for what that's worth.

17. Skin Trade by Laurell K. Hamilton. This next installment of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series is, to my mind, much superior to "Blood Noir". Anita is back on the job as a Federal marshal, taking down a rogue vampire. Except who is she actually fighting, the vampire or her supposed fellow cops? And is she turning into a monster herself? Extra points for bringing back one of my favorite characters, Edward the bounty hunter.

18. Arrow's Flight by Mercedes Lackey. More comfort reading, about the land of Valdemar.

19. The Curse of Chalion and
20. Paladin of Souls both by Lois McMaster Bujold. I've probably read these books about fifteen times each and come away with something new to think about every time. Superficially about removing a curse from the royal family ("Chalion") or finding a new purpose for one's life ("Paladin"), in actuality the books are thought-provoking meditations about courage, duty, honor, and love. And they're good stories, too. It's obvious why "Paladin" won the 2004 Hugo and "Chalion" came in second for the 2002 Hugo Award for Best Novel.

Plus, there are funny bits. Strongly recommended. Don't miss these, and be sure to check out the rest of Bujold's oeuvre. You'll be rewarded.

9) Swell Foop by Piers Anthony. Xanth #25 A fast, fun, entertaining fantasy.

10) Cross Country by James Patterson. An Alex Cross mystery. Most of this story takes place in Africa. It's faster paced than most of his novels.

21. Steal Away The Sky by Nancy Kress. The best intro is to give you the blurb from the dust jacket:

"The ad had appeared on the internet: 'We are an alien race you may call the Atoners. Ten thousand years ago we wronged humanity profoundly. We cannot undo what has been done, but we wish humanity to understand it. Therefore we request twenty-one volunteers to visit seven planets to witness for us. We will convey each volunteer there and back in complete safety. Volunteers must speak English. Send requests for electronic applications to witness@atoners.com.'"

And what's it all about? Well, I don't want to give it away, but it was a pretty good read. The author shows not only what the Atoners are atoning for, but the human reaction to the deed that they are atoning for. Four stars (of five.)

22. The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives by Leonard Mlodinow. Interesting discussion about how randomness, chance, and probability reveal a tremendous amount about our daily lives. Probably the take home message is that we can't control randomness, but we can control how we react to it. And one method of defeating randomness is to persevere. After all, the more trials you make, the more likely you are to come closer to the mean! (The author actually said this in a much better and much more inspiring way that I did.) Three and a half stars.

23. First Lord's Fury by Jim Butcher. The final (presumably) volume in the "Codex Alera" series. Butcher comes to a satisfying climax, ties up all the loose ends, and generally gives a darn good read. Four stars.

24. Collapse: How Societies Choose To Fail Or Succeed by Jared Diamond. A well-researched, and chilling, tome about societies both historical and current, and how they "collapse" - that is, suffer a dramatic decrease in population and complexity. Historical examples given include the Norse in Greenland, Easter Island, the Anasazi and their neighbors in the southwestern USA. Current examples include Rwanda and its recent genocide, the difference between Haiti (mostly deforested) and the Dominican Republic (still has a lot of its forests), and the behemoth that is industrializing China - how pollution there affects the entire rest of the world.

The author paints a somber picture of how many societies commit "ecocide" - they destroy their resource base. And he points out the parallels to our situation today. Is there hope? Tough to say. It will depend on our own actions. Well worth reading. Five stars.

(P.S. Gee, can you tell I've been on vacation lately and have had loads of reading time?)

(P.P.S. Star ratings are entirely subjective and are based on how engrossed and intrigued I was when I read the book. Totally arbitrary. Your mileage may vary.)

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

35. My Own Country by Abraham Verghese. A tale of an Indian physician, brought up in East Africa and India, who moves to the USA. He specializes in infectious diseases and takes a post in East Tennessee. There (it's the mid-1980's) he sees the beginning of the AIDS epidemic.

He sees with the eye of the alien, the eye of the outsider. And yet he comes to know his patients and be there for them in a way he never thought he would. Moving and powerful.

#14 Painting the Darkness - Robert Goddard

Goddard has almost never let me down. As it happens, I found this one hard to get into for the first few chapters, but before long I was hooked and on the edge of my seat as I was drawn into the series of connecting mysteries that unfolded. This novel had more twists and turns than...a twisty-turny thing. As Blackadder might say. And the little begger led me straight up the garden path so that it turned out that I had completely the wrong end of the stick and nothing was as he'd led me to believe. Hugely enjoyable.

9) U Is For Undertow by Sue Grafton.
10) Wings and Rockets by Jeanette Atkins. For young readers, but lots of interesting information. For example, Orville and Wilbur had a sister named Katharine who took care of their bike shop in Ohio while they were at Kitty Hawk working on the plane. She was also the first female passenger on a powered heavier-than-air flight, and later learned to fly the craft. Cool.
11) Letters To a Young Conservative
12) What's So Great About Christianity?
13) The Enemy At Home
14) Illiberal Education by Dinesh D'Souza. This guy is my latest favorite author.
15) Listen by Rene Gutteridge. Fictional tale about a small town whose private conversations start showing up on a website. I've met this lady personally and she's really personable and willing to help young writers. She encouraged my daughter to start writing, and now she can't stop! I am my daughter's beta (which is something I never thought I'd write), partly due to Rene's influence.

36. Pursuit of Honor by Vince Flynn. Another in the series about CIA agent Mitch Rapp. Decent thriller.

37. Torch of Freedom by David Weber and Eric Flint. Set in the "Honor Harrington" universe, HH appears only fleetingly as most of the action is taken up with plots to kill the new queen of Torch, evil machinations by Manpower, Inc. (the slavers), a galactic amusement park, and spy missions. This is one where you really have to had read the previous books in the series first to know what's going on. Worth reading in that case.

Interesting. Many of us love the Miles tales. I bet you read "Falling Free" Or "Ethan of Athos" which only take place in the same Universe.
For real Miles take a look at
"The Mountains of Mourning"

Also if you like fantasy take a look a Elizabeth Moon's Paksenarrion books

Thanks for the recommendations, Patrick. Both look interesting and I'll certainly check them out. Certainly, the MV one looks much more in line with my current reading tastes, so I'm looking forward to trying that out.

Although, for the moment, all other reading is on hold as my copy of The Hallowed Hunt hit the doormat this morning. So I've been squeeing a lot and running around in little excited circles. I'm looking forward to settling down this afternoon by the fire with that and some nice homemade chicken noodle and leek soup.

I know that the MV novels have a large amount of fans out there - many of them here on these mbs - and it definitely wasn't a lack of writing quality that put me off the one I read. I just get bored easily with spaceships and laserguns these days. I suspect that had I read it ten or twenty years ago, I might have really enjoyed it. Back in my phase of reading Harry Harrison and Bob Shaw and Harlan Ellison. Who knows, in the future, I might revive that interest.

I think the one I read might have been Shards of Honor, actually. Although I could be way off base there, it was a long time back. But that's the only title that resonates in my memory when I look at the list.

BTW, which site do those links come from? The left-hand menu is reminiscent of a book resource I have bookmarked and use quite a bit, but I've never seen excerpts there. Although, admittedly, I still have a lot of exploring to do there. Do you have a link to the homepage of your site? Is it Fantastic Fiction ?

LabRat

The tale directly prior to this one
Crown of Slaves by David Weber & Eric Flint is available as part of the Baen free library. As is the first tale in this sequence From the Highlands by Eric Flint

Baen publishing

Baen Home page

Cool. Looks like a useful site to bookmark. (Which I just did. ) Thanks, Patrick.

LabRat

No new books to report but a recommendation:

"The Mountains of Mourning" by Lois Bujold. Damn good story. Or darn good story, to keep the PG rating here on the boards.

22.Key Lime Pie Murder Joanne Fluke

23.Carrot Cake Murder Joanne Fluke

24.H Is For Homicide Sue Grafton

25.I Is For Innocent Sue Grafton

26.Cream Puff Murder Joanne Fluke

27.J Is For Judgment Sue Grafton

28.Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind Ann B. Ross
I started reading this Miss Julia series. A nice clean (funny) Southern lady. These books are OK, but not as good as Fannie Flagg's series.

29.Miss Julia Takes Over Ann B. Ross

2. Dune by Frank Herbert - A friend of mine who runs the weekly RPG I play in recommended this to me, and it sounded very interesting, so I downloaded it, and I've listened to it twice now. I think it's pretty great.

AND . . .

3. The Bourne Supremacy by Robert Ludlum - FINALLY! I was only 6 or 7 chapters away from the end a couple days ago, so I cracked down when I got home from work and finished it while I started my laundry. The books are definitely much more awesome than the movies. I just wish I had The Bourne Ultimatum as well.

I don't think I'm going to be delving into my (much-diminished, since I sold at least 400 to Wonder-Book & Video earlier this week) collection of actual books this year. I just don't have the patience to sit and read a book after work (or on breaks while at work), when there are so many other things I want to do in my spare time.

However, I hope to download a lot more audio books to listen to while I work--it's easy now to pay attention to the book and still do the work right.

On that note, based on what is not on any of my previous 50-book challenge reading lists, are there any books you all might recommend that I download and "read?" I've got the entire Discworld series already, as well as Dune. I mostly like fantasy/sci-fi, but suspense (not horror) is good as well. I've also been known to read some non-fiction, though that rarely.

So, based on those parameters, if any of you can recommend a book (or even a series) to me, I'd be grateful. Just send me a PM with the title and author, and I'll look it up. Thanks!

38. Evidence by Jonathan Kellerman. Policeman Milo Sturgis and psychologist Alex Delaware solve another mystery, this one of a couple murdered in a half-constructed mansion in Holmby Hills, California. Well-written as usual for Kellerman, and worth reading.

39. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. Charles Ryder, college friend of Sebastian Flyte (son of Lord Marchmain) goes to the family seat when he is young and again ten years later. A lot more to the book than I'm making it sound. Much talk about religion, and an underlying theme of God's grace. Big ideas, with a lot of pondering involved.

Unfortunately, deep down I'm shallow, so I'll have to think about this one for about ten years.

40. The Host by Stephanie Meyer. Better known for her "Twilight" series, this book tells of the alien invasion of Earth and of the few remnant humans who fight on. How can you fight the aliens who take you over, body and soul? Creepy but with an upbeat ending. Not spectacular but competent. Probably a good beach read.

#15 The Hallowed Hunt - Lois McMaster Bujold

I definitely wasn't as enthralled with this one as with her previous two. Too much talk, not enough action, I think. The characters were engaging enough and much of the plot had a lot of promise, but I didn't feel the potential of either was really fulfilled. Still an enjoyable read, but not exactly one of her best, imo.

LabRat

Question: Would you say that The Divine Comedy counts as one book, or as three (Inferno, Pergatory, and Paradise)? I haven't read it/them yet, but I'm planning on it, and I'm not sure how to count it/them.

Oh, definitely three books! They are set in different places; Dante has a different guide (isn't it Vergil and Beatrice), and gosh darn it, they are three books!

#16 A Drink Before The War - Dennis Lehane
#17 Darkness, Take My Hand - Dennis Lehane

I was pretty much introduced to Lehane through movie adaptations of his novels, but it's only now that I've really started taking note of him, since reading Gone Baby, Gone last year.

I really enjoyed these two. If you like some depth to your thriller, with excellent characters, a lot of wit and humour and some interesting social commentary / moral dilemmas to ponder, I'd highly recommend this author. He always leaves me thinking long after the book is done.

LabRat

#18 New York Dead - Stuart Woods

After a few recommendations, I took the plunge and bought this and Dead In The Water, which I've just begun and shall come to later.

Well, I'm not in love, yet, but this was a very enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to more of the same from book 3. It took me a couple of chapters to really warm to Stone Barrington as both he and the tone of the novel are very different from the usual detective heroes I've been reading about in the past few years. But I quickly warmed to both and soon got into the swing of things.

I was a little surprised, as this was one of those two books in one deals, that I didn't get book 1 and 2, but 1 and 3. Which is somewhat irksome. But I enjoyed the first enough that I've bought 2 and to be honest I'm fairly confident that I'll be buying more soon.

The one thing better than finding a new author to read is finding a new author to read who's also prolific. I've got a deal of catching up to do and from what I've read already, I anticipate that I'm going to have a lot of fun doing so.

LabRat

41. Stealing Buddha's Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen. Interesting tale of a girl (a young child) who escaped from South Vietnam in 1975 with some of her family, and came to Grand Rapids, Michigan. She tells the tale of her alienation from USA society and gradual assimilation, using food as a metaphor. She wants the Pop Tarts and breaded chicken nuggets; her grandmother cooks pho soup and spring rolls. Her grandmother also puts the best of the food on the altar of Buddha for a few days before the family is allowed to eat it (the title fits in here). Interesting take on an alien in a new society, with obvious implications for LnC fans.

42. Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. I have to admit, when I was reading this, I kept on seeing Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison in my head. What's different is they don't get together at the end (unlike the movie) and the big climax is that Henry Higgins grows to admire Eliza Doolittle because she has become the person who can stand up to him and defy him. The edition I read had a follow-up author's note by Shaw, telling what he thinks happened to the characters (Eliza marries Freddy Eynsford-Hill, they start a flower shop business, initially bankrolled by Colonel Pickering), and Henry Higgins remains a confirmed bachelor, although Eliza still remains sort of friends with him.)

Labby, Robert B Parker and Stuart Woods write a lot alike. Stuart Woods 'Stone' character is in everyone's bed, Robert B Parkers 'Spenser' character is dedicated to one women (after the first couple books). But they really are alike. If you like one author, you will more than likely like the other.

Thanks for the rec, Sue. I'll check that out. I have to admit that Stone's attitude to women grates on me, but I can overlook it. I'm enjoying Dead In the Water, although I'm a bit surprised that no one - save one reporter - has questioned Allison's behaviour. She's just lost her husband in dreadful circumstances, they supposedly had a strong relationship, she went through a terrible ordeal at sea...and Stone doesn't question her hopping into bed with him almost as soon as she docks and no one else questions that she doesn't seem to be grieving or traumatised one iota, but is behaving as though she's on vacation and nothing happened.

Still, that aside, I think I'm hooked. <g> I love the author's plots and Stone is growing on me more with every chapter I read. Getting quite fond of him now. Just wish he wasn't so naive when it comes to the women in his life. Sometimes, I think he needs a good smack upside the head with a two by four.

ETA: Just checked out Amazon. Those do look interesting. Think I'll buy myself the first Spenser novel and the first Jesse Stone one and see how it goes. Thanks again!


LabRat

Labby, I did not read the Spenser books in order. My library did not have the first couple books so I read them last (asked for them for xmas). Don't drop Spenser if you don't like the first book. I really didn't care about it reading it last. He hadn't met Susan yet, and he could hit the sack also. Parkers' writing got better a couple books in. I like the Jesse Stone books, again don't give up after the first one.
Both authors are fast reading. When I was stuck in bed for 3 months last year, I would read one in under 24 hours. I had my husband running to the library consistently. He told me to read something higher than a 5th grade reading level. LOL I told him these were written for adults.
I hope you enjoy.
Sue

Don't worry, Sue. I don't demand that my heroes are perfect - just that they are interesting. So long as they have interesting plots and characters, I'll be on board. I've ordered both books and am eager to try them out.

LabRat

#19 Dead In The Water - Stuart Woods

I really did enjoy this one. The plot was fascinating, I liked the St. Marks setting as something out of the ordinary and enjoyed the court-room shenanigans. (Sue, have you ever read any of Richard North Patterson's books? He does great mystery/court-room novels. One of my favourites is Silent Witness.)

One thing I do have to say - Stone Barrington couldn't have been much of a cop. He seemed to miss what I thought of as a lot of very obvious clues to the truth of things. I spent a lot of this one thinking "But, he could have..." and "But, wouldn't he be...?"

But, still, that doesn't matter much. I've grown fond enough of our hero, flaws intact, that I'll definitely continue to read more about him. Especially considering the ending of this one! Now I HAVE to buy the next book in line! And to the extent that Dirt arrived in the mail this morning and I'm feeling slightly resentful that I can't settle down with it as I have housework to do.

LabRat

#20 Dirt - Stuart Woods

Normally the rich and famous bed-hopping and gossiping about it, Jackie Collins-esque plot doesn't interest me, but I actually really enjoyed this. Again, the plot made a nice change from the usual plot of this kind of book and the characters made a big difference. I'm really looking forward to reading more in the series now.

#21 The Sharing Knife: Beguilement - Lois McMaster Bujold

This one suffered just a little - like The Hallowed Hunt - from not enough action and lots of talking. But it helps if the talk is interesting. I found the Lakewalker culture fascinating and our heroes charming and engaging, but I still would like some stronger antagonists and more action next time around. Keen to find out what happens next though.

Now my only problem is that I've spent quite a bit on books lately and really need to put a breathing space into my finances before I buy any more. :p But my fingers are itching now to buy the next in these series, so I may not hold long to my promise.

LabRat

Yes, Labrat, but please keep on reading the tetralogy. Stuff will happen, I assure you!

43. The Wrong Reflection by Gillian Bradshaw. A man wakes up after a horrendous car accident. Everyone says he is Paul Anderson, and his ID says so too. Why, then, does he feel so strongly that he is *not* Paul Anderson? And what is with all the machinations in the background? Why does he speak other languages when he didn't before? Why has his appearance changed? Why does his employer look at him strangely now? Bradshaw really pays off in spades on this one, and it's highly recommended.

The Wrong Reflection sounds fascinating, Iolan. I've never come across this author before, but a quick Amazon search brought up what look like a few fascinating historical/fantasy novels by her, too. Like Cleopatra's Heir and The Wolf Hunt. Have you read those?

I've tagged all three to try when I've gotten over my self-imposed ban on buying anything new for the next month or two . But they do look very intriguing.

LabRat

#22 Small Vices - Robert B. Parker

Well, I was absolutely enthralled by my introduction to Spenser and Hawk. I'm definitely in the market for more as soon as I can buy them.

Sue, have you read any of Robert Crais's Elvis Cole novels? (The series begins with The Monkey's Raincoat). Part of the reason I enjoyed this so much, I think, was that I found so many similarities between Spenser and Cole, Hawk and Cole's buddy, Joe Pike (Hawk talks just a bit more than Pike, I think ) - even in Pearl and the relationship Cole has with his psychotic cat. It's always a real bonus for me if our hero has a quirky relationship with a pet. Pearl was wonderful.

Anyway, if you haven't, I think you might enjoy them. The characters share many qualities and Cole has that marvellous self-deprecating wry wit that Spenser has, which is always a big attraction for me in a hero.

LabRat

Labby, I tried a couple Robert Crais's Elvis Cole novels and at the time really didn't like them. I'll try another time. I have found it all depends on the mood you're in at the time. LOL
Something I've wanted to ask, don't you have any libraries?

Labby, those are definitely worth reading! I loved "Cleopatra's Heir", and "The Wolf Hunt", and another one I'd recommend is "The Sand-Reckoner", about Archimedes.

"Island of Ghosts" is set in Northern Britain at Hadrian's Wall, where a troop of Sarmatians are sent (long story, it's basically because they lost a war and they're conscripted into Roman service and set hundreds of miles away from their homeland.)

"The Beacon At Alexandria" is a fascinating glimpse of Alexandria at the time of Athanasius:

"Imperial Purple" - how did they dye fabric that color back in ancient times? Well, they extracted the dye from the murex snail - expensive as all get-out, so only the Emperors could afford it. But someone is planning a coup d'etat, and needs to have that purple cloak to make a good show...

Gillian Bradshaw is one of my favorite authors. I like her historical fiction better than her fiction set in the present time, but that's just me.

I have to say that I'm quite excited to get reading GB now. My favourite historical periods have always been the classic civilisations and having read a small bit of The Wolf Hunt on Amazon, I definitely want to read more of that one! Can't wait.

Sue - Libraries? Sure. In fact, I worked in three of them for over a decade as an assistant librarian. But I don't like borrowing from them, for a variety of reasons. They don't always have what you want, if they do it might be out, then you have to order it, if you love the book you have to take it back....

On another note, I'm feeling slightly miffed today. I had been led to believe by Amazon that Small Vices was the first Spenser novel. Now I find Wiki telling me it's actually the 24th! I'd begun to suspect something was amiss when reading it as it didn't sound like a first novel in the way it introduced characters. I should have asked you, Sue, and got more reliable info.

So...not that it matters much, but it would have been nice to start at the beginning.

ETA: Another thing which irritates me - coming late to a popular author, so that most of the early books are out of print or so rare that the second-hand sellers on Amazon feel justified in asking for stupid money for them. So far, I've seen prices ranging from £90- £350.

LabRat

Labby,

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_order_were_Robert_Parker%27s_Spencer_novels_written_in

Thanks, Sue. I've ordered the first two and they're on their way.

Meanwhile, I've just started Night Passage and am enjoying it so far.

LabRat

16) Gods of Tin by James Salker. An assortment of fictional and factual accounts of air combat during the Korean War.
17) Korean War by Maurice Isseman. A brief outline of the major engagements during the Korean War (with a few M*A*S*H references tossed in).
18) The Coldest Winter by David Halberstam. A detailed history of the Korean War based on personal accounts of the people who pulled the triggers and/or hung around the commanders on all sides.
19) A Time to Speak by Robert Bork. A selection of legal briefs and arguments before the US Supreme Court. (I did not know, for example, that in the early 1970's Bork was Solicitor General of the United States.)
20) Hostile Takeover by Susan Shwartz. S-F. Weak on character development but long on science. an interesting description of life within an enclosed asteroid with less than 1/20th Earth's gravity.
21) Medalon
22) Treason Keep
23) Harshini by Jennifer Fallon. Series fantasy with lots of interesting characters and some surprising plot twists.

After many weeks, I have finally finished the currently-existing books in David Weber's Honor Harrington series:

4. On Basilisk Station
5. The Honor of the Queen
6. The Short Victorious War
7. Field of Dishonor
8. Flag in Exile
9. Honor Among Enemies
10. In Enemy Hands
11. Echoes of Honor
12. Ashes of Victory
13. War of Honor
14. At All Costs

My next reading project is non-fiction--research on the Napoleonic War. I had an idea for an RPG campaign based on Naomi Novik's Temeraire series, which is based in that time period, and I have next to no clue about how the actual war went, so I figured I'd better remedy that.

Hopefully, that research will fill the two months I'll have to wait until Mission of Honor (Honor Harrington book 12) comes out.

Labby, I happen to be a second-hand seller on Amazon and although I don't have the Spenser books (I read and sell mostly nonfiction and I haven't really been following this thread) it is my experience that the prices for books by most popular authors are so low that I can't afford to sell them--by the time I pay an Amazon commission, I would lose money. In fact, I have not been adding any books to my listings because there are so few that I can get a decent price for. (I am a small seller, so if a book sells for $4, I pay $2.94 in fees to Amazon, and sometimes the shipping fee doesn't cover all the shipping costs, and I have to be willing to accept returns, so I generally don't list anything unless I can get at least $7 for it.)

When you buy books from Amazon, are you just checking the UK site, or do you look at the US site too? Also, there is one seller from the UK who advertises on the US site, and I don't know how they manage to sell their books so cheaply with the international shipping--I have bought one book from them, and I only paid about $5, which included the shipping.

Anyway, let me know what authors you are looking for and I can keep my eyes open for them next time I go to our local used book shop; they only let you use trade-ins for half the cost of the book, but I have so much credit there I will never use it all up.

Also, I have just checked Ebay, and there seem to be a number of Spenser novels for sale there.

11) Tom Clancy's Power Plays---Cold War by Jerome Preisler. Not up to the normal calibur of story in this series.

12) Tom Clancy's Op-Center---War Of Eagles by Jeff Rowin. Fast paced well written story.

13) The Case For Pluto by Alan Boyle. The history of the planet Pluto from the search for the planet to it's demotion in 2006 to dwarf planet. With photos. A small book but well written, fast moving, and very interesting.

Paladin of Shadows Series by John Ringo.
14) Ghost
15) Kildar
16) Choosers of the Slain
17) Unto the Breach
18) A Deeper Blue

Very enjoyable, fast paced story. Not what I was expecting when I picked up the first book. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

The usual price I pay for secondhand books from Amazon sellers is around £2.75, cookiesmom - that's from those sellers who list the book at 1p and then add £2.75 'P&P'.

I suspect they make their profit by buying the stock cheap in charity shops and that the P&P is considerably lower than that advertised. Which is fair enough and it's certainly a price I'm happy with. Although, if they all pay the same Amazon rates as you do, I don't know how they make a profit either.

The problem comes when a book is rare or out of print of course because they can pretty much set exorbitant prices for it. Of course, as Stuart pointed out when I was whinging about this to him, if I had one of those books I'd try getting all I could for it, too. Which is true. But, of course, if it was me doing it, that would be wholly justified.

Unfortunately, I can't buy from the US as I don't have a credit card. So I'm restricted to UK sellers.

I never thought of Ebay - it's a long time since I've bought anything there as I got fed up with the hassle of bidding. A lot of them, I see, are more than £2.75, but there are a few cheaper, too, so, yes, definitely I should check there when I get to the next in line. I've ordered the next two Spenser novels in the series from Amazon - The Godwulf Manuscript and God Save The Child - but when I'm ready for the next in line, I'll see what Ebay has to offer.

That's incredibly sweet of you to offer. Thank you! I'm looking for Robert B. Parker 'Spenser' and 'Jesse Stone' books and Stuart Woods 'Stone Barrington' books.

LabRat

#23 Night Passage - Robert B Parker

Well, having read this I can't say I was surprised to note that the author also has a few westerns to his name. The undertones of High Noon were obvious here. But that didn't put me off as I rather enjoy that whole 'moral hero standing up to the mob' kind of plot.

I really did like this. I think I like Spenser more, but Jesse is close behind him and I'm looking forward to seeing more of Paradise and its inhabitants, too, in future books in the series.

#24 The Spirit Ring - Lois McMaster Bujold

I really liked this. Much better than I did The Hallowed Hunt actually. I'm sensing a recurring theme in the author's work. That of a young woman who is devalued or abused by her family realising - with the help of her true love - that she is worthwhile after all. Again, not a plot theme I have issues with, so I don't mind the repetition.

LabRat

19) A Child Called Noah by Josh Greenfeld
20) A Client Called Noah by Josh Greenfeld
21) A Place For Noah by Josh Greenfeld
22) Boy Alone by Karl Greenfeld

23) Pandemic by Daniel Kalla
24) Resistance by Daniel Kalla
25) The Last Prophecy by John Land


I read A Child Called Noah and A Client Called Noah back in the 1980's. I saw a review of the brother's book Boy Alone and decided to reread the entire series. True story of a boy named Noah with autism and the family's research and work to attempt to cure him. Noah is now in his 40's and remains profoundly handicapped. Interesting but sad.

Pandemic and Resistance are medical thrillers.

The Last Prophecy is a thriller ranging from WWII to the present.

44. The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde. Hilarious "Nursery Crime" tale of the investigation into the murder of Humpty Dumpty (Humperdinck Jehoshaphat Aloysius Stuyvesant van Dumpty).

"Ovoid D-class nursery celebrity Humpty Dumpty, minor baronet, lover of women, ex-convict, and former millionaire philanthropist, is found shattered to death beneath a wall in a shabby area of town. Yes, the big egg is down."

You have to read Fforde to appreciate him - jokes and literary allusions and literary allusion jokes on every page.

For example, introducing the character of Detective Inspector Jack Spratt, who is speaking at a press conference:

"This afternoon the Reading Central Criminal Court found the three pigs not guilty of all charges relating to the first-degree murder of Mr. Wolff...Since the death by scalding of Mr. Wolff following his ill-fated climb down Little Pig C's chimney, we at the Nursery Crime Division have been following inquiries that this was not an act of self-defense but a violent and premeditated murder by three individuals who, far from being the innocent victims of wolf-porcine crime, actually sought confrontation and then acted quite beyond what might be described as reasonable self-defense."

(some questions from the assembled reporters)

"We believed," Jack said, "that boiling Mr. Wolff alive was quite outside the realm of 'reasonable force' and the fact that the large pan of water would have taken at least six hours to reach boiling point strongly indicated premeditation."


And that's just the beginning!

#25 The Godwulf Manuscript - Robert B Parker
#26 God Save The Child - Robert B Parker
#27 Bloodline - Mark Billingham
#28 Sacred - Dennis Lehane

We've had some glorious weather over the past few days and what better way to savour it than blissfully soaking up the sunshine with a cool drink and in the company of some of my favourite detectives. Wonderful stuff all round.

LabRat

26) Betrayal by John Lescroart.

A legal thriller. Slow paced but ended (literally) with a bang. The last sentence of the book gave it all away. I think I'm going to look for more books by John Lescroart.

27) Deep Storm by Lincoln Child
28) The Ninth Dominion By Jon Land

Lincoln Child has a great imagination. And is a good writer. This one wasn't as far fetched as some of his stories. An alien race has placed a matter-antimatter weapons dump under the Earth's mantle and Earth scientists are trying to dig it up thinking it's a very important discovery.

I got behind in listed books.

30. Miss Julia Throws a Wedding Ann B Ross
31. K is For Killer Sue Grafton
32. L is For Lawless Sue Grafton
33. Black Hills Nora Roberts
34. M is For Malice Sue Grafton
35. Split Image Robert B Parker- this book was both a Jesse book and a Sunny book. I know it wasn't meant to, but it did tie up the two series very nicely.
36. Miss Julia Hits the Road Ann B Ross
37. Miss Julia Meets Her Match Ann B Ross
38. Miss Julia's School of Beauty Ann B Ross
39. N Is For Noose Sue Grafton
40. Mistletoe Murder Leslie Meier
41. Trick or Treat Murder Leslie Meier
42. O is For Outlaw Sue Grafton
43. Miss Julia Stands Her Ground Ann B Ross
44. Miss Julia Strikes Back Ann B Ross
45. Right Next Door Debbie Macomber
46. Miss Julia Paints the Town Ann B Ross
47. One Day at a Time Danielle Steel
48. P is for Peril Sue Grafton
49. Miss Julia Delivers the Goods Ann B Ross
50. Plum Pudding Murder Joanne Fluke

Hey, suez, congratulations for completing the 50-Book Challenge!

#29 - Trouble in Paradise
#30 Death In Paradise
#31 Stone Cold
#32 Sea Change
#33 High Profile
#34 Stranger in Paradise

All by Robert B Parker. I had a good time with these in the main. As well as the central character of Jesse Stone, I like the other regulars - Molly, Suitcase and Co. There was only one small fly in the ointment and that was Jenn. A character I loathe and despise. I have no clue why Jesse didn't kick her into touch in the first book. I also found the scenes with her and Jesse discussing their relationship problems very repetitive - essentially you read one, you read them all. To the extent that I very quickly progressed to just skipping over them, unread. Didn't seem to miss anything important doing so. Their relationship never seemed to progress in either direction over the series, but just went around in circles.

But that was a minor flaw and I may have noticed it more because I was reading the entire series back to back. It didn't spoil my enjoyment any and I'm sorry there will be no more in the series to read.

#35 Prayers For Rain - Dennis Lehane

I think that Angie Gennaro and Patrick Kenzie are perhaps my favourite detective team. I love the peripheral characters - like Bubba - and the sharp wit that pervades these novels. I still have some more to catch up with. Hopefully soon.

LabRat

Labby, you still have 'Night and Day' and 'Split Image' in the Jesse Stone series. And I know exactly what you are saying about Jenn. In the Sunny series she is the same about her husband.

Night and Day is a Stone novel? I have that! Came in just the other day. I thought it was one of the Spenser novels for some reason. I'll have to check if I have Split Image and order it pronto if I don't.

Thanks for the heads up, Sue! Off to do some more reading then!

LabRat

When you have read the Jesse books. Make sure you look into the Sunny and Holly books. I love the dog in the Holly books.

edit: I'm sorry. The Holly books are by Stuart Woods

There's a dog? Say no more - I'm there.

I'm going to be working my way through the Spenser novels next, then Stone Barrington. Once I've gotten through those, I'll definitely be checking out Sunny and Holly.

LabRat

#36 Night And Day - Robert B Parker
#37 Split Image - Robert B Parker
#38 Swimming to Catalina - Stuart Woods
#39 Worst Fears Realised - Stuart Woods
#40 LA Dead - Stuart Woods
#41 The Short Forever - Stuart Woods
#42 Cold Paradise - Stuart Woods
#43 Dirty Work - Stuart Woods

LabRat

51. Q Is For Quarry Sue Grafton
52. Odds Against Dick Francis
53. Whip Hand Dick Francis
54. Come To Grief Dick Francis
55. Track Of The Cat Nevada Barr
56. Lie By Moonlight Amanda Quick
57. Under Orders Dick Francis
58. Apple Turnover Murder Joanne Fluke