Yay! A fresh new year of wonderful reading and sharing lies ahead, no doubt!

Usual rules, as per Jojo's original challenge of 2007, apply if you want to take up the challenge part of this thread:

Of course, there's no need to count if you don't want to. This is also just a thread for sharing what you're reading - be it one book or one hundred! So don't feel obliged or intimidated by the challenge part - just ignore it if you want to!

I know that I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone's reading and hopefully getting some good recommendations! So even if it's just one book in the whole year, do share with us - it might just be that book we've been dying to read, but never knew it!

Happy reading!

LabRat

I'm looking forward to the new year of reading and discovering new books.

I got a whole stack of books for Christmas! I'm so psyched to do this challenge!

Me too!!!

And me. <g> But I'm not starting with any of those, but with:

The Postman - Dan Brin

I didn't think the movie with Kevin Costner was as bad as the critics made out, but I had no idea it was based (very loosely as it turns out) on a novel until I found this among my Kindle books.

Turned out to be an extremely entertaining, thoughtful, thought-provoking and intriguing story. I enjoyed that it was short on the horrors of the post-apocolyptic world and long on the sense of hope and courage and striving towards something better that prevailed.

And it made me cry at the end as that sense of hope continued. You can't ask for more from an author really than that.

LabRat

That sounds more promising than I would've expected, given the movie reviews. I'll have to check that one out.

I agree--the Postman movie was OK, but still a typical Costner film. The book is much more involved and I enjoyed it much more.

You can't judge a book by its movie.

Total agreement here. One of the better books I've read was Steven Gould's "Jumper", and the movie was totally different (and in my opinion, inferior to the book.)

The only movie I've ever seen that was better than the book is "Witches of Eastwick". The movie is one of my all-time favorite. The book... well, it's great for curing insomnia... and not much magic.

PS: What am I reading right now? (other than catching up on my reading on the L&C Boards) I'm making my way through the Twilight series AGAIN :rolleyes: (this must be at least my fourth or fifth time). Currently reading, New Moon, which is the best out of all of them (I'm definitely on Team Jacob!) The way Stephanie Meyers describes Bella's heartache is spot on accurate.

Postman at least isn't one of the ones where the movie totally mangles the basic meaning of the book.

Had 22 books under my tree, I really need to work on my to read pile. Mainly used one, people hit used bookstores and found some of my wish list of older ones.

I didn't post my books last year. So I figured I had better start off right this year.

1. Tahoe Heat - Todd Borg
This is a series I found that is not even in my library. this is the 8th book of the series. I like the series and pay for the Kindle book to read it.

2. Smokin' Seventeen - Janet Evanovich
This series is not great anymore. I got the Kindle book downloaded free from the Library. I would never pay to read this.
Sue

There are few things sadder in reading than a well-loved series that begins to weaken over time and many books.

I found that with Alex Kava's books last year. I'd think twice about buying any others.

LabRat

I finally started reading a series that my son loves. #1 Leviathan and #2 Behemoth , both by Scott Westerfeld. It's a alternative version of WW1, in which both sides have more futuristic technologies. So far, I'm enjoying them. Now I have to wait for him to finish book 3, which he got for Christmas.

Swear I'm going to do this challenge this year, and do it right (wow, my "goals" list for 2012 is getting rather long...)

Anyways, since over the winter break my family had our traditional Star Wars marathon (six movies in 48 hours baby! ), I'm probably gonna kick off this year by rereading/reading my favorite Star Wars novels, as a soft way into the year...

Which would be?

Madame Tussaud – Michelle Moran

Moran’s novels of Egypt and Rome were one of the gems found on the last challenge thread last year, so I was really looking forward to this one. And I certainly wasn’t disappointed. Within the first couple of pages I was deep in 18th century France. I’ve only read a couple of novels about the French Revolution previously, but none have really touched on the details and I was in tears by the end, especially reading the author’s notes. Superb.

Moran has become one of my favourite historical authors and I’m delighted that she already has another book coming out: The Second Empress, set in the Napoleonic era. As this is another period and characters I know nothing of, I’m looking forward to that when it’s released.

Pilate’s Wife: A Novel of Rome – Antoinette May.

A sympathetic and to my mind very plausible relating of Claudia, told from her perspective. Very entertaining.

LabRat

3. Arcadia Falls - Carol Goodman
I really enjoyed this book. The setting was not that far from where I grew up. Thank you Labby for recommending it.

1) Earth Abides by George R Stewart. I reread this one occasionally. America's recovery following an illness that wipes out most of the population as seen through the eyes of the main character.

2) Exceptions To Reality by Alan Dean Foster. Short stories including one inspired by Peter Pan by JM Barrie and one inspired by The Cold Equations by Tom Goodwin. Well written.

3) The Complete Adventures of Peter Pan by JM Barrie and Golgotha Press. I always thought that I had read this one. Turns out I hadn't. Much darker than the Disney versions.

4) The Cold Equations by Tom Godwin. The title story and several others. Well written. The Cold Equations is a story that I have remembered since I first read it and I reread it once in a while.

That sounds intriguing. I'll have to check it out.

That's one of my favorite books.

I'm into the what-happened-next stuff, so it's mostly with Han and Leia's children and whatnot. I'm going to at least re-read a couple of the Legacy of the Force series novels (definitely number five, which is "Sacrifice". It's my favorite and I actually cry at one part ). And then I need to catch up on the newer series, Fate of the Jedi.

But that might have to wait because I just cracked into an Agatha Christie last night and I might go on a murder mystery spree first...

Oooh! I LOVE Agatha! My favorite is "Murder of Roger Ackroid". I think I've read EVERYTHING she ever wrote (with the except of Curtain, which I'm holding off on since it's the last the Pirot novel and the mysteries with the husband and wife team, because they annoy me).

There is a ebook Clues to Christie which is a short bio and bibliography of Christie free as a iBook for iOS devices. (google) Free as a Kindle book also. Clues to Christie.

I've read this too, but for apocalyptic end-of-the-world fiction, I prefer "Alas, Babylon" by Pat Frank. Yes, it's dated (set in central Florida before the onset of the Disney empire) but still very engrossing.

And, of course, for the granddaddy of Apocalypse Fiction, the short story that I read as a kid in a science fiction anthology, the story that really got that "sense of wonder" going, try "A Pail Of Air" by Fritz Leiber. What can I say? It hit me at a sensitive time.

Books I have read so far:

1. The Sun's Bride by Gillian Bradshaw. 260 B.C. Isokrates of Kameiros, from Rhodes, is the helmsman of a new trireme that captures a pirate ship. On board is Dionysia, the escaped mistress of the King. She carries important letters that will spark a crisis between Greece and Egypt. Isokrates, a self-made man, feels he is too poor for a Companion of the King. But you never know...

2. Discovering The Soul of Service by Leonard L. Berry. The author did in-depth studies on twelve organizations of various types to see how they managed to be tops in their field. Readable and enjoyable, but duplicating the mindset of the successful organizations isn't all that easy.

3. The Black Tower by P.D. James. Would you believe that this is the first P.D. James book I've ever read? It certainly won't be the last. Detective Adam Dalgliesh, invalided and recovering, is asked by an old friend to visit. Unfortunately, the old friend dies before Adam gets there. Heart attack? Or murder? And it goes on from there.

4. Soft Target by Stephen Hunter. Terrorists take over the Mall of America in Minneapolis. Any book that begins with Santa getting shot in the head (sorry) definitely grabs your attention. Tense and absorbing.

"Alas, Babylon" by Pat Frank is an excellent book. For many years my absolute favorite post apocalyptic book used to be the first one that I read of that genre, Stephen King's "The Stand". Now that I've read so many others, it's hard to say which is the best.

As I've said previously, I'm an absolute sucker for PA stories and novels, so thanks for sharing your favourites. Got some checking out to do!

As for me, one of my all-time favourites is Robert McCammon's Swan Song. Joan, if you love The Stand, and haven't read this one you might want to give it a go as you might just enjoy it. It covers a similar theme and tone, but even better than King imo. And I say that as a great fan of King's early works, including TS.

LabRat

New reads:

N1. The Colour of Magic - Terry Pratchett [English]

I'm probably late to the party with this book, lol. It's only the second book by Pratchett I read, but even from the first few pages of the first one I knew I'd love him. The man writes brilliantly. If only I could write one tenth as well as he does, I would be a happy person. It's an amazing world (though I admit I didn't get all the specifics about how their sun works, lol) and I just love the humour!

My favourite tales from the book were The Sending of Eight and The Lure of the Wyrm.

I'm totally borrowing the next book from the friend that lent me this one asap.

Re-reads:

R1. Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours (Around the world in 80 days) - Jules Verne [Greek]

I love Jules Verne. I own several of his books and I intend to re-read, if not all, at least my favourite ones (which would be like 10 out of 12?) during this year!

5) The Disappearance by Philip Wylie. Great book. Men and women are separated by an unknown mechanism, each thinking that it is the other that has disappeared. The story is how they learn to cope without the other sex.

Yeah! More PA suggestions! Thanks!

Joan

#1. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Best. Christie. Yet! (Haven't read all of them yet, so I can't say 'ever' now can I?) I've loved every single Agatha Christie novel I've ever read (and to a certain extent, I worship her ), but for some reason, never got around to this one. Before this, my favorites were "Cards on the Table," "Death in the Clouds," and of course, the ever popular "Murder on the Orient Express." But this one... /shivers/ I literally had chills from it. Never saw it coming at the end. Loved the incorporation of the sinister nursery rhyme, too. Definitely recommended to any and all murder mystery lovers...

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Mouserocks:
<strong> #1. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie



I also liked "Alas, Babylon". It's one of those books I had heard of (title only) because it had been assigned in some English class (but not one I had took). I stumbled over it while searching for something to read that wasn't in German, while spending a year in Germany (my German was good, but not THAT good). I could only find "classics" in English like that one in the library in my town. Oh, darn. Rediscovered my love of "Pride & Prejudice" that year as well.

This is one reason that I love my Kindle. One of the reasons I finally caved in and bought it was because I realised that I couldn't keep adding 20-30 books per year to my already groaning bookcases. Not to mention every other possible space around the house.

The Kindle enabled me to pack away a huge part of my collection in boxes in the attic as I was able to get Kindle copies of all of them. So if I get the urge to revisit an old favourite, it's there on the Kindle. And I lost about two-thirds of the content of my bookshelves, so plenty of space for anything new.

Perfect!

LabRat

4. The Blue Edge of Midnight - Jonathon King
A new series I found. I liked this book and looking forward to the next.

Yes! I agree!

In her autobiography, Agatha Christie mentioned that she had to have a sort of deus ex machina (the message in the bottle, or whatever it was at the end) to tell the reader (and the police) who really did it and how it was done. Because, as the way it stood, how could you know? (Those who have read the book will understand what I mean; for those who have not read the book, I definitely don't want to spoil anything.)

#3 Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner

Interesting story about how four women's lives become drawn together.

6) The First Patient by Michael Palmer--- Entertaining story.

7) Call Sign: Wrecking Crew (Storm Warning) by David McKoy and Lynn Hallbrooks. Story is fairly good. The writers need a good editor.

R2. Les Cinq cents millions de la Bégum (The Begum's Fortune) - Jules Verne [Greek]

I had only read that once or twice, years ago, and I barely remembered what happened in the book. Of course, some things started coming back to me as I read, some others I guessed thanks to being too familiar with the author (and some of the typical literary clichés), but overall I enjoyed a fresh read.

As is the case with most of Verne's books, there was an intriguing plot and a very inventive fantastic world. There's an obvious bias against Germans in the book (it was written after the Franco-Prussian war), which could be annoying, but then you realize a German with ideas similar to Herr Schultze's ones from the book really came forward less than 60 years after its publication, and it becomes creepily prophetic instead.

Anna - Yay for you! I have never met anyone else who has read this obscure Jules Verne novel.

Our public library had a copy of it when I was a kid. Alas, some years later, vandals dropped a smoke bomb in through the book return slot; the ensuing fire destroyed a fair amount of the library's collection.

In my opinion "The Begum's Fortune" is a lesser Verne, but as you say, still interesting and with much to offer. Like Mozart, even inferior Verne is better than many other authors' best.

Question to others on the boards - has anyone else read this book? Posters on the boards seem to be a group of fairly well-read people who have wide-ranging interests.

Whew, you guys have been busy. I just finish my first book of the year. Granted, it's 6 stories in one, so it did take a bit longer. The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams is definitely a very quirky sci-fi series. Every time I put it down, my thought processes were a bit off (more than usual ) but I loved it. I've read a few before, especially the main book, but now I get a few more jokes. This Ultimate anthology contained The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Life, the Universe and Everything, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish, Mostly Harmless, and the short Young Zaphod Plays It Safe.

Yes, isn't it wonderful? I've been thoroughly enjoying reading everything so far.

As for me:

I Am Number Four - Pittacus Lore

I found my way into the movie of this one a few weeks back during some bored, early morning channel browsing. Pure hokum, but I enjoyed it enough to check out the novel. Turned out the movie stuck very close to the book, so there were no major surprises, but enjoyable all the same.

The Bitterwood Trilogy - James Maxey:

I Bitterwood
II DragonForge
III DragonSeed

A marvellously entertaining fantasy trilogy. Just loved it. To say it's a kind of Planet of the Apes with Dragons instead of apes would be to simplify it too much, but it had some parallels. In a far distant future, human civilisation on Earth has faded to just a handful of medieval villages and a few tech artifacts. The world is ruled instead by a race of dragons. As war erupts between them and their human pets/servants, a small band of dragons and humans are brought together....

I particularly loved how the alliances kept shifting, some of the good guys became villains and all of the twists, turns and surprising revelations as the history of how the world turned from human to dragon emerged.

Great characters, some nice wit - I

Brilliant stuff.

LabRat

5. The Visible Darkness - Jonathon King

6. The Lake of Dead Languages - Carol Goodman
I didn't like this book as well as 'Arcadia Falls'. This book had a lot of Latin, oh which I know nothing about. It went back and forth between the present and the past.

I started this challenge last year with such good intentions...and then dropped the ball!

This year, I will keep going until the end of the year...this I vow!!

1. "Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony" by Eoin Colfer

#4 "Silver Girl" by Elin Hilderband

Engaging story about two women renewing an old friendship after they'd both been through a lot.

8) Skeleton Coast by Clive Cussler with Jack Du Brul. Good action story.

So good to find a fellow Verne fan, Iolanthe! *high-fives*

I continue my Verne re-reads with:

R3. Un capitaine de quinze ans (Dick Sand, A Captain at Fifteen) - Jules Verne [Greek]

This is one of my favourites - although, of course, a re-read isn't as suspensful as the first read. But I do think it's one of his finest works in terms of suspense - the heroes find themselves into more difficult and dangerous situations than usual. Very engaging and thrilling.

Karen, I've been meaning to read the Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy, but I looked it up and I got confused because I couldn't figure out if it was one book or what :p This 6-in-1 book looks like a good deal, I might have to look into it next time I'm on a book-buying spree.

Swan Song - Robert R. McCammon

It's been many years since I read this one, but mentioning it earlier put me in the mood. For my money, still the best PA novel I've yet read. Wonderful characters, a truly chilling villain and an epic battle between good and evil.

LabRat

9) Furious Gulf by Gregory Benford. Not a favorite. Uses a lot of fancy formatting that makes it difficult to read. Destroys the flow of the story.

What a great goal! Used to read so many more books than fifty, but last year was so busy, I hardly read anything. So, trying to get back to the enjoyable hobby, hope no one minds if I'm a bit late!

1) Midshipman's Hope - by David Feintuch
I've read this book a dozen times before, but it's always just as good as the first. Set in the future Navy when trips through the stars take several years, a lowly midshipman is catapulted to the captaincy through tragedy and has to face a host of troubles.

2) Challenger's Hope - by David Feintuch
As good as the first one! Now officially a Captain, Seafort once more gets a ship, but the betrayal of an admiral leaves him stranded on a mutinous ship with no way home.

3) Prisoner's Hope - by David Feintuch
Sick and wounded, Seafort is now on Hope Nation, but an attack destroys the armada and leaves him senior Naval officer, which means he has to protect the colony from invasion. Really well-done, perhaps too much so because when he's sick, I feel sick!

4) Fisherman's Hope - by David Feintuch
Maybe my favorite--the Navy doesn't know what to do with their youngest war hero, so they put him in charge of the Academy. However, Seafort, tormented by the decisions he's made in the past, has no idea what to do with the hundreds of cadets.

Just After Sunset - Stephen King

As I've previously noted, I was a huge fan of King's early works. So it was almost physically painful for me to try and work my way through this recent collection of short stories. For the most part boring, they bore no relation to the wonderful short stories of the past, such as Shawshank, Apt Pupil and those contained within the pages of Skeletion Crew, Ten Past Midnight and even those written for Creepshow. Those were magical and it was hard to imagine they'd been written by the same author who wrote these.

The Night Stalker - James Swain
The Night Monster - James Swain

Still with the bad taste in my mouth of JAS, I warmed to Swain's hero, Jack Carpenter - a one man missing persons' unit, specialising in missing kids - and his quirky dog, Buster within the first few pages of the first novel. With the addition of a nice cast of bit players, particularly The Seven Dwarfs - a chorus of rowdy drunks with hearts of gold whose home is the bar underneath Jack's apartment - these were very entertaining.

And I'm delighted to note that they're part of a series. I've added the rest to my wish list.

LabRat

David Feintuch had a great series of books.

2. "Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox" by Eoin Colfer

Just one more in the series...

Those are great books. My kids and I love them.

Joan

I feel the same way about Stephen King. I was really excited about his earlier works. Sometimes I wonder if that's because I was in high school at the time and my first introduction to these types of stories. But over time, it still seems like the later books aren't nearly as good as his earlier work.

Joan

10) Starstrike: Task Force Mars by Kevin Dockery and Douglas Niles. An action driven science fiction story. Fairly good story but poor character development. That improves in the latter part of the book. It turns out to be one of a series. I wish they would mark books on the cover so you would know if it is one of a series. I haven't decided if I am going to read the rest of the series.

11) The Athena Project by Brad Thor. Slow thriller. Not one of his best.

Sucker Bet – James Swain
Midnight Rambler – James Swain

I was delighted to find these two on my Kindle when I wasn’t expecting to. I found the first one a little harder to get into because it was part of the author’s Tony Valentine series. Set in a world of gambling, casinos and card cheats. Not a world that particularly interests me. But the characters got me through.

I was much more interested in the second – another in the Jack Carpenter series and much more to my taste.


The King of Lies – John Hart

This was tough going for a while. The hero was so unrelentingly miserable, full of self-loathing and self-pity that I have never so strongly felt like shaking someone hard and being so utterly frustrated that I couldn't. I spent most of the first third of the book with a sore jaw from clenching my teeth tight as I read. But I’m glad I persevered, because this turned out to be a very good thriller in the end.

7. Betrayal of Trust - J.A. Jance
8. Dog Tags - David Rosenfelt
9. One Dog Night - David Rosenfelt

I have now finished catching up my series with current regular books. Now back to the Kindle. YAH!

The fourth Star Trek movie "The Voyage Home" was definitely better than the book. (That's the one with the whales.) The movie made it seem that the alien was trying to find the whales and didn't realize that the storms were killing the rest of Earth's inhabitants. In the book, the alien knows that the whales are gone, blames everyone else and decides to destroy the Earth.

3. "James and the Giant Peach" by Roald Dahl

I don't know why I'm suddenly reading (and rereading) kids books...

#5 Kindred Spirits by Sarah Strohmeyer
Predictable story about a group of women friends dealing with the death of one of their own.

12) Raven Strike by Dale Brown and Jim DeFelice.

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
2. The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse.

I love Pride and Prejudice! Has anyone read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies? I'm so tempted but I don't want it to ruin Jane Austin's masterpiece for me. (I've also heard they're making it into a movie.)

I haven't read P&P and zombies, but I see there's a new sequel out by PD James called Death comes to Pemberley. Anyone read it? I will, but not the £19 hardback unless it's from the library. I did read Pemberley a few years back, which was entertaining enough, if I recall.

P&P is one of my most favourite books ever. Haven't read any of the sequels/alternatives, though.

R4. De la Terre à la Lune (From the Earth to the Moon) - Jules Verne [Greek]

R5. Autour de la Lune (Around the Moon) - Jules Verne [Greek]

I've been trying to keep a critical eye as I re-read, in order to be able to post proper "reviews". So, while I've enjoyed these two books very much, I can now say that From the Earth to the Moon might not be for everyone. It deals a lot with technical stuff (how big should the cannon be? what should it be made out of? etc.), astronomy and history of astronomy, and while the few characters we actually meet are fun and well-written, the plot progresses considerably slowly and could actually be summed up in two or three lines.

Around the Moon is more interesting in that regard, although here too, we find more astronomy, and detailed descriptions of the space and moon. But again, not that there is much plot, but we see more of the characters and their life inside the projectile.

Despite all that, the books are fascinating for the view of the world and the space they offer. Reading them brings you back to that era, and you'll find yourself rooting for this to happen, eager to discover the moon, and completely forgetting that you're in fact living in a world where space travel is an old story.

N2. Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes [English]

Doranwen got me this book. Very, very interesting premise, and very well done. The character starts out decidedly likeable and even amusing, in the way that kids and their naïveté can bring a smile to your face. Then it becomes fascinating to watch his progress after the operation, and you feel for him as he struggles to fit inside a newfound world. It also poses some good questions about people, intelligence and its importance, and life in general.
I admit that, being the geek that I am, I would have liked to see some more technical/medical talk, but its absence makes this book a simple and enjoyable read for everyone.

Now to get my psychiatrist-in-training boyfriend to read it... :p

P.S.: gr8shadesofElvis, LOVE your sig. May I steal? (Not for use as a sig, obviously!)

Anna, steal away, it's not mine really anyway. Comes from a book called Scarlett Rules. Other life rules include 'pretty is as pretty does' and 'tomorrow is another day'. I am a big Gwtw fan.

Now, there's a great book "Gone with the Wind", which another (later) author wrote a so-so sequel ("Scarlet" in the 80s, I think).

Speaking of P&P, has anyone read the mystery series where Jane Austin is the sleuth?

13) Net Force Hidden Agendas created by Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik. Good story. Predictible. Nowhere on the book is an author listed. Only created by.

14) In the Arms of Grace by LeChristine Hai. An autobiography of a Vietnamese child and her brother who were brought to the US following the end of the Vietnam War.

10. Tahoe Hijack - Todd Borg
One of the best of the series

11. The Cat Who Turned On and Off - Lilian Braun

12. Rules of Prey - John Sandford

The Heart-Shaped Box – Joe Hill

I enjoyed this modern ghost story, it was quite entertaining. But I can’t say that I understand the huge buzz that there’s been around this one. It was…okay.

Dweller – Jeff Strand

Now this horror tale I absolutely loved. It could have been a simple, pulp horror tale of an ape-man creature living in the woods and attacking humans. It does have its odd moments of horror, but, in the end, and in an odd fashion, it was really a simple tale of friendship. When he was eight, Toby, met a monster in the woods – and over the years the loner human, who finds it increasingly difficult to get along in human society, and the long-orphaned creature, share their lives together in an unlikely bond. The witty tone throughout helps lift this above the usual horror fare. And, given the bittersweet ending, this one reminded me in some ways of Dean Koontz’s Watchers. I cried at the end of that one, too.

Pressure – Jeff Strand

A chilling thriller. Poor Alex has the misfortune to cross paths with a budding psychopath in his 12 YO boarding school room-mate. A psychopath who, unfortunately, develops an obsession with tormenting his former ‘friend’.

I’m definitely going to have to look out for more from this author…

LabRat

3.) The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.

Wonderful read, made me cry a lot in the last few chapters but in a good, uplifting sort of way.

4. "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld

This is another reread - it's the first in a series of 4 for young adults and it shares a great lesson about accepting yourself and others the way we are.

The Book of Fires – Jan Borodale

I really enjoyed this unusual historical novel. Dire circumstances see our heroine, Agnes, flee her small Sussex village for London, where she falls in with John Blacklock – Pyrotechnist and firework maker. I was engaged with Agnes from the outset and my heart was in my mouth every step of the way with her towards her redemption, sure that things were going to fall apart. If I’ve one criticism it’s probably that, in the end, everything fell together far too easily, but it didn’t really matter and didn’t spoil the story for me.

LabRat (who, while suffering a bout of chronic insomnia, says, thank heavens for Kindle and its endless books! The long hours of the night sure go quicker for them...)

Finally, I've finished reading my first book of 2012! And it was...

#1 - For Whom The Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway

I loved it. More than a book, it was an experience. I was born after the spanish civil war ended and even though Portugal and Spain are hermanos I'm ashamed to say that I didn't know all that much about the guerrillas and the fight itself. The book was amazing and the writing was propably the best I've ever read - I have a terrible memory. I forget things faster than I can learn them. But while reading this book all the chapters stayed neatly organised on a cosy spot of my mind and didn't go off to wherever they usually go when I can't recall them. Very refreshing.

The Cold Room - J T Ellison

The premise and characters were hardly original - a group of women law professionals banding together, FBI boyfriends...and so on, but I never hold that against a thriller. There are so many in the mix these days that originality is hard to come by.

This one though had a genuinely creepy villain and the law enforcement characters were engaging and made me want to read more about them, which is all I ask.

Clearly not the first in this series, but unfortuately the only one I have on my Kindle. I'd be interested in starting at the beginning.

LabRat

So I went to a cheap book bazaar the other day - the yearly editor's union stock sale. I got 4 new books for 15.5 euros. Why can't prices always be like that??

N3. And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie [Greek]

I wanted to buy something for my brother, who seems to enjoy thrillers/mysteries, and I remembered someone here had recently read and loved this one, so I bought it and read it today. It was so magnificently creepy and it gave me the chills. Greatly done, loved the mystery.

Thanks for the recommendation, Mouserocks!

A couple of re-reads:

The Dead Room - Chris Mooney
The Soul Collectors - Chris Mooney

I have two more from this author which I don't think I've read, so I figured I might as well read these as well before I got to them. Unfortunately, I seem to have read them entirely out of order...ah, well...

LabRat

The Cat Who Saw Red - Lilian Braun

Shadow Men - Jonathon King

Explosive Eighteen - Janet Evanovich
I know this book has gotten pretty bad reviews. It wasn't great but I kind of enjoyed it.

The Cat Who Played Brahms - Lilian Braun

The Cat Who Played Post Office - Lilian Braun

N4. A Prisoner of Birth - Jeffrey Archer [Greek]

Very intriguing and engaging book. When, at the beginning of the book, we saw the trial where the bad guys were conspiring to blame it all on the poor guy, I was like irl.

My only complaint is that the plot was a little far-fetched at times. Other than that, okay, might not be great literature, but I liked it.

(I see in the Wikipedia page that it is "a contemporary retelling of Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo." I'd heard the title but had no clue what it was about. Fail. Anyways, as far as Dumas goes, I recently bought The Three Musketeers, and will be up on it soon-ish.)

#6 Goliath by Scott Westerfeld Last in the series about an alt/fantasy/version of WW1

The Missing - Chris Mooney
The Secret Friend - Chris Mooney

Even though I had, indeed, read these out of order, it was still nice to get back to where it all started for our heroine, Darby McCormack, and actually see the events alluded to in the later novels in the series. There were still plenty of surprises.

Bones of Faerie - Janni Lee Simner
Faerie Winter - Janni Lee Simner

I just loved this young adult fantasy and its sequel, set 20 years after a war between the world of faeries and our own. The faeries have been defeated, but the legacy of war is a dark and deadly world, where nothing is truly safe. Trees hunt human flesh, crocuses full of acid burn unwary fingers, butterflies burst into flame ("as butterflies often did".) And birds remember the sound of car alarms in their songs, even though the cars are long since rusted and gone.

Our heroine, Liza, sets out into this world on a journey to find her missing mother, after discovering she has magic talents and fleeing her abusive father and a community fearful and suspicious of magic, who would surely kill her for them.

Engaging characters and a intriguingly imagined world make this one a real gem. The second has obvious parallels with The Snow Queen - Liza's soul mate ensorcelled by The Lady and so on - but that didn't detract too much from it being a beautifully wrought adventure.

I also loved the causal, random inclusions the author made of little snippets from our world - mugs in Liza's house carrying messages from Before that hold no meaning now - Disneyworld, St. Louis Cardinals, Missouri. And a few rusted Pepsi cans.

Also, it made me cry happy tears at the end. I swear, either I'm getting more easy to get to in my old age, or authors are getting way better at that than they used to.


LabRat

N5. The Landlady - Fyodor Dostoyevsky [Greek]

I got this one because both my mother and I have been curious to read some Dostoyevsky - and this one was short enough and the premise looked interesting. I must admit, by the end of the book I wasn't sure what exactly had happened after all. I mean, the landlady in question narrates a story, but you're not sure what to infer from it, and then you get another explanation, but before the narration you had gotten the rumours, and... I don't know, maybe this book is for smarter pplz. Or maybe the point is to get you to think and wonder, rather than understand what's going on.

The writing was beautiful, though. And I think it would be a fascinating read if you're a more character-oriented reader, as opposed to plot-oriented like I am.

#7 The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

I'm working my way through the books I got my kids for Christmas. A girl in the 90s installs AOL but has access to her Facebook page 15 years later. Then she tries to change her future. This was fun.

Joan

A Killing Night - Jonathon King

Shadow Prey - John Sandford

The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare - Lilian Braun

The Cat Who Sniffed Glue - Lilian Braun

scifiJoan - Oooh, that sounds like a fun one!

Even though it's geared for young adults, it was a fun story.

Joan

#2 - Trainspotting - Irvine Welsh

#3 - The Help - Kathryn Stockett

Loved that book! And the movie is good too.

Joan

Closer Than Blood – Greg Olsen
Victim Six - Greg Olsen

The first of these thrillers was a bit of a mishmash. The plot was all over the place and too many characters were introduced too soon at the start, often with little idea of where they fit into the plot. The writing was...average. But for all that, it wasn’t that bad and I did go to sleep about two thirds of the way through with my mind buzzing over how the plot would resolve itself.

The second was a little better as far as plot, character introduction and pacing were concerned.

About on par with Mary Higgins Clark for me, although a little more messy in the execution.

They Thirst – Robert McCammon

Still the best vampire novel around for me - Salem’s Lot being the second – as vampires take over Los Angeles in a chillingly plausible way.

Oddly enough, the author now refuses to allow his early works to be reprinted as he apparently doesn’t think they’re up to scratch. While I’d agree with him when it comes to Baal, Bethany’s Sin and The Night Boat – his first three novels, which are nothing more than pulp horror books and strangely not on par with the great novels he came up with shortly afterwards – I’m always surprised that he includes this one in that opinion. I disagree with him vehemently, obviously!

LabRat

Good to know about the movie! After reading the book I became curious about the adaptation but had already missed it on cinemas. I'll have to wait for the DVD to come out
So far I liked what I saw with the casting (even though Emma Stone and Bryce Dallas Howard weren't physically close to what I had pictured of Skeeter and Hilly, they're great actresses - and that surpasses my expectations on looks). Hope there weren't losses to the story. That's always my biggest disappointment when books are adapted to the big screen. But from what I've read about the movie it can stand on its own, which is great.
Thanks for the recommendation!

A Storm of Swords
A Feast of Crows -- George RR Martin

Books 3 and 4 of A Song of Ice and Fire (aka The Game of Thrones) is done. I'm enjoying the series, but it does get a bit long. A bit of war, a lot of politics, and interesting characters make for a good story. Before I started reading it, some friends told me "Do not get attached to anyone." The author does like to kill off characters! I need to get book 5, but I'm going to take a bit of a break first. Especially since there's no release date for book 6.

The Night Angel Trilogy – Brent Weeks

I The Way of Shadows
II Shadow’s Edge
III Beyond the Shadows

Another superb fantasy trilogy lurking on my Kindle. Absolutely loved it. Reminded me a lot of Locke Lamora with its hero a young guttersnipe/thief who becomes apprentice to a legendary assassin. But it becomes much more than this – a wide, sweeping saga covering all of the major huge themes that fantasy does so well. With characters you root for and agonise over the fates of. The author has no compunction in killing off your favourites either, so you really are on the edge of your seat hoping for the best at times. And I especially loved that this was a gray world. None of the black and white morality that permeates much of the fantasy genre.

An interview with the author promises us a new trilogy set in the same world with some of the same characters in due course. I, for one, cannot wait!

LabRat

Back to my Verne re-reading:

R6. L'Étoile du sud (The Vanished Diamond) - Jules Verne [Greek]

I have a very soft spot for this one. I can't place the reason why; there's nothing very extraordinary about it, I think. But it has a good plotline with the necessary twists of events to keep you interested, it's not heavy on the science as other of his works are, and the protagonist is a very nice and likable young man. So, why not.

#8 The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
A unique spin on Alice in Wonderland where Wonderland is real and the story we're familar with isn't. I'm looking forward to checking out the other two books in the trilogy.

Joan

15) Dragon by Clive Cussler
16) A Beautiful Friendship by David Weber

Eyes of Prey - John Sandford
Silent Prey
Winter Prey
Night Prey

The Cat Who Went Underground - Lilian Braun
The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts

Celebrity In Death - JD Robb
Nora Roberts did a little something different in this book. Instead of the kick ass, find the bad guy, it was a more mellow thought out case from clues. It was nice for a change but I hope she goes back to the old way next book.

The Black Prism – Brent Weeks

Sadly, I found this almost impossible to get into, unlike the previous trilogy and it felt like a real, hard slog to get to the end. The problem wasn’t the plot or the characters – I was immersed in those right from page one, as with the first trilogy. But, here, I found the rules/elements of the universe we were in almost impossible to understand and the things which had worked so well for the previous trilogy – like references being dropped in about people and past events which weren’t explained until much later in the book – just added to the confusion. Whereas, I really enjoyed that aspect of Week’s writing in his previous trilogy, here, I found I wanted explanations ASAP and was increasingly frustrated when I didn’t get them.

Ah, well…can’t win them all. Reading this though, reminded me that I have a small pile of ‘next book in the series’ on my Kindle by some of my top five favourite fantasy authors. So I’m going to treat myself to working through those next.


The Wolf’s Hour – Robert McCammon

Decades ago, when I first read this one, it was the first horror novel I’d ever read that made the werewolf a hero instead of an unthinking, monstrous villain. At the behest of his king, who is well aware of his ‘talents’, Michael Gallatin infiltrates Nazi-occupied France on a spy/sabotage mission. Interspersed with this story, the tale of how he was made into a werewolf as a boy and his early life spent learning how to survive with his pack in the Russian forests is given to us in flashbacks. One of the great werewolf novels of our age, imo.

The observant among you will have noticed TWH isn't a fantasy novel. I started the second in the Locke Lamora series first, but, hoo boy, even though I'm enjoying it, I'm finding it such a hard slog to get through.

Firstly, it's a real book and a thick one. It's killing my wrist holding it up as I read. And, secondly, the print is tiny. I had to give up and read something on the Kindle in between, just for the respite.

The Lady of the Rivers – Philippa Gregory

I’ve read enough now to know that I’m never going to be the greatest fan of PG’s historical fiction. This one – the story of the events leading up to the War of the Roses from the perspective of Jacquetta of Luxemburg - like the others, spent way too much time repeating the same minor events over and over. So we have our heroine declaring she is pregnant to her husband for the 10th time and they reaffirm their love for each other. Our hero bids farewell to his wife for the 7th time before sailing away to war or siege… And whilst these events are factual – this couple had 16 children! – I don’t think we need to be told about them in exactly the same way every single time.

But the lives of these real characters were intriguing enough to make me read to the end, so I don’t suppose you can call it a complete failure. And I can always appreciate the focus on some of the extraordinary women whose heroism is often overlooked by history in favour of the prominent men of the period. Jacquetta must have been a formidable woman indeed.

LabRat

17) Out of the Dark by David Weber --- Great post-apocalyptic story until the last chapter. Then he brings in vampires.
18) The Alien Years by Robert Silverberg---Great story.
19) Elvenborn by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey --- Fantasy but too much fantasy for my taste. I couldn't get into this one.
20) Innocent by Harlen Coben.

N6. Emma - Jane Austen [English]

Loved it. It's thanks to Pride and Prejudice that I've been set on reading more Jane Austen, and Emma has a lot in common with it; particularly the strong heroine, which is an element I missed in Mansfield Park (the other book of hers I've already read); I like a book that revolves around an active character much better than one where the main character is constantly sitting somewhere and simply observing. Emma is a character I loved reading about: she's beautiful but haughty; intelligent but not always right; good-hearted but quick to judge; and her imperfections and contrasts make her all the more interesting.

Jane Austen's writing in Emma is exquisite as always - I have no clue how she has managed to write such engaging books by describing the common, everyday life! And I love reading about that era, even though some of its aspects are annoying - at some point near the end I got so annoyed at the importance of social standing in choosing a spouse, but I realize that's how it was back then, and the character thinking of that was justified for a number of additional reasons, so I persevered. Not to mention, the end was what I had wished for from the beginning, so that gave me a good feeling too

I have two more books of hers I haven't read, and will probably be picking them up soon enough.

#4: Morality for Beautiful Girls - Alexander McCall Smith.
#5: The Kalahari Typing School for Men - Alexander McCall Smith.

Both part of the no1 Ladies Detective agency series. Good fun!

#4 - Let the right one in - John Ajvide Lindqvist

I saw the swedish movie a while back and liked it. The book sheds light on many things that weren't clear and builds rich characters.

R7. Le Maître de forges (The Ironmaster) - Georges Ohnet [Greek]

A re-read of one of my top two favourite books, which I had in fact re-read only a few months ago. I found it at a book bazaar and bought it as a present for my friend who has an upcoming birthday - but I couldn't resist reading it myself first, to see how I liked it under this translation!

I like mine better. I can't judge if I'd like it the same if I had read this one first, because I'm very used to the other one. I think it was a bit "smarter" at times - and it's older, so it has more of a book-y and "old times" feeling, which fits perfectly, because the book takes place in 1880.

As for my opinion on the book? As I said, one of my two favourites. A wonderful romance story that's got it all - and if you don't fall in love with the ironmaster, you've got no soul. I must add that I've lent it to several friends, with varying tastes in books, and they've all loved it. Highly recommended if you can find it.

Mind Prey - John Sandford
Sudden Prey
Secret Prey
Certain Prey
Easy Prey

The Cat Who Lived High - Lilian Braun

Cinnamon Roll Murder - Joanne Fluke

That makes 35 so far this year!

The Lost Duke of Wyndham
Mr. Cavendish, I Presume
The Secret Diaries of Miranda Cheever
- All by Julia Quinn

Just re-reading a bit of what's on my bookshelves.

Dissolution
Dark Fire
Sovereign (Re-read)
Revelation
Heartstone

All by C J Sansom.

As far as historical fiction goes, I’m much more interested in the biography genre than the murder mystery genre. But there are some exceptions to that rule and Sansom’s series of mysteries set in Tudor England with his hunchback lawyer sleuth, Matthew Shardlake, is one of them. I have a great fondness for Matthew.

Partly, I guess, because I find the period interesting and partly because Shardlake is such an appealing character. Full of human foibles, never perfect, often harsh, grumpy and afflicted with other vices, yet in the end good-hearted at the core.

I also love the no holds barred descriptions of medieval life and the way that the author drops in little tidbits here and there which show how the people of the time make sense of their lives, without the knowledge of how the world works that we have in modern times. So you have sailors talking about the strange, colourless drink they discovered on a trading voyage with the Polacks – wodky. <g> Or the black liquid with the terrifying ability to set things on fire that so appals and mystifies our characters in Dark Fire – petroleum. And I just loved the inn that proudly displays the huge thigh bone (obviously a dinosaur fossil) ‘of a giant’ that was washed up on shore one day just yards away.

I re-read Sovereign – it was the first of these I encountered, a while back, but turned out to be in the middle of the series, so I figured it was worth reading again to cement the timeline and bridge the gap between the first two and last two.

All in all, I've had an enjoyable time working my way through the series and it's going to be something of a wrench dragging myself out of Tudor England...

LabRat

#9 The Death Cure by James Dashner Last in a triology starting with The Maze Runner. I thought it fell short in some places but my son loved it.

Joan

21) The Jungle by Clive Cussler with Jack Du Brul. Good action/adventure story.

The Rain Wild Chronicles - Robin Hobb

I Dragon Keeper (re-read)
II Dragon Haven

Robin Hobb/Megan Lindholm has been at the top of my favourite fantasy authors list for a long time, so I finally decided to treat myself to book 2 of this latest series. Had to read book 1 first to bring myself back up to speed as it's been a while.

I think I enjoyed book 2 even more than book 1, if that's possible. Excellent human characters, love the arrogant, wilful dragons and lots of twists and turns. I'll be looking forward to book 3.

LabRat

Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby

This is outside of my usual genre. A group of friends is doing an online book club, and this was this month's book. Nick Hornby also wrote High Fidelity, the book that the John Cusack movie was based on. Annie lives with Duncan, who is completely obsessed with a singer, Tucker Crowe, who hung up his microphone years ago and disappeared from the limelight. When a new album of Tucker's is released, a raw version of his biggest album titled Juliet, Naked, Duncan loves it, but Annie doesn't. They both write reviews and post it on a fan site... and then Annie receives an email from the retired singer. It was an okay read with semi-interesting characters, but the ending left me unsatisfied.

5) Voices Of Hope - by David Feintuch
My least favorite of this series, it's almost not even worth reading. Set decades after Fisherman's Hope and told through the eyes of street children and Seafort's own strange son, it's very hard to follow and suffers in that it veers away from Seafort's character--the reason I read these books.

6) Patriarch's Hope - by David Feintuch
This one goes back to the style of the first books, told through Seafort's eyes now that he's become leader of the United Nations and faces the treason of his beloved Navy. As good as the first ones with a great love story for a change!

7) Children Of Hope - by David Feintuch
This one is told through the eyes of a child too, but it's much better done, showing how Seafort inspires everyone who meets him. It also brings back the enemies from the first books with a decidedly intriguing twist!

8) Quatrain - by Sharon Shinn
Wow. That's my first response to this book. Sharon Shinn is definitely in my top three favorite authors, and these four novellas set each in a different one of her worlds illustrates why. Her descriptiveness and emotive power just blows me away. These were excellently done, bringing her beloved worlds to mind without ruining their impact, and each containing a story that stands on its own. Amazing!

9) Talk To The Hand - by Lynne Truss
This is a hilarious book, as funny as her first one, that details the decline of manners and politeness. So funny I was seriously wiping away tears for about half the book.

R8. Ninet - Georges Sari [Greek]

Although this is a children's book, it's very enjoyable - and has actually won a national award for Best Children's Literature Book. The story is an almost-biography of the author's eldest sister, from her birth till the day she got married. It's very exciting to read about all the different places she visited and lived - the language is very immediate and descriptive, and Ninet herself is a lively, mischievous girl you just love to read about.

Soldier Son Trilogy – Robin Hobb

I Shaman’s Crossing (re-read)
II Forest Mage
III Renegade’s Magic

This trilogy is the one disappointment I’ve encountered from Robin Hobb. I read the first book some years back and although it was an okay read, never felt the need to go any further. I felt there was too little fantasy in the book and that it might as well have been called Tom Brown’s Schooldays, being a tale of a young noble destined to be trained as a soldier in a barely fictionalised Old American West.

But since I had all three books on my Kindle, I figured I’d give it a go. My opinion didn’t change regarding book one. Book two was much of the same and unfortunately book three was largely set in a part of the world, among characters that I didn’t care about and wasn’t much interested in, not to mention very repetitive. But I remained invested enough in wanting a happy ending for the characters, particularly our hero, that I made it to the end. And that ending did leave me with a smile – but, hoo boy, it was a heck of a long, boring slog to get there. Very disappointing.

LabRat

#5 - Stardust - Neil Gaiman

Not sure which I like the most, the movie or the book. They're distinct in some aspects and the movie brings the happy ever after conclusion, but I liked them both in their own way.

#10 Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card

It took a while to get into this new world. Interesting premise with good characters.

Joan

#6 - Wyrd Sisters - Terry Pratchett

So far, this has been my favorite book in the Discworld series. The parody around Macbeth and other plays by Shakespeare, the unexpected references to Laurel and Hardy and Charlie Chaplin, the whole group of characters were great and turned into a good book where even the strangest happenings appear natural. I don't know what I liked the most, because there wasn't anything that wasn't great.

The Kingkiller Chronicle - Patrick Rothfuss

I The Name of the Wind (Re-read)
II A Wise Man's Fear

Thanks to my failing memory I had to re-read part one, which I read last year, because I was shaky on some of the fine details. It wasn't a chore. This is still, for my money, one of the best new fantasy trilogies in recent years.

Book two was much of the same - Kvothe continues to relate his story to Chronicler, with interludes at his inn in the present day. Full of complex characters, witty banter (Bast in particular is just a delight) and an intriguing story, I can't wait for book three to arrive.

LabRat

Oh I'm so behind!

#6: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon
#7: The Help - Kathryn Stockett

Enjoyed them both.

I'm behind already too.

#11 Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

Just finished reading this one with a friend. The author usually tackles interesting issues but I was annoyed by her approach.

Mistborn Series – Brandon Sanderson

I The Final Empire

I read this first one back when I heard that Sanderson had been chosen to complete The Wheel of Time. I remember I thought it an okay read, but I wasn’t intrigued enough by the world or characters to rush to see what happened next.

Perhaps because I came to it without any great expectations, second time around I found myself enjoying it much more. A couple of events that had previously irked me made a lot more sense this time around.

II The Well of Ascension

I think this was my favourite of the series so far. Partly because it introduced my favourite character – TenSoon – and pulled off one of the best plot twists to date.

III Hero of Ages

This was my least favourite so far. For some reason, it took me a while to get into it. But, still, it had some good set pieces and some interesting twists and turns.

I probably still won’t be anxiously waiting for book four, but when it arrives I’ll probably enjoy it all the same.

I just wish he’d hurry up and produce A Memory of Light, so that I can finally catch up.

The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

I The Way of Kings

Not sure what I thought about this one. Parts of it seemed like a hard slog at times. There were several characters I wasn't much intrested in and one I was really enjoying, but probably not enough to want to rush to get the next book in line.

LabRat

#12 I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson I thought this book would be light and funny and I didn't find it to be either. I didn't like the main character at all.

Joan

(I'm trying to catch up by reading shorter books!)

#8: Deborah goes to Dover - M.C Beaton. Book 5 in the travelling matchmaker series. Embarrassingly I have read several of these. Short, mindless fun. Untaxing on the brain cells.

#9:The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald. Read this in high school and decided to give it another go. There's nothing special about the plot really, but the way it's worded is simply beautiful. I am so full of admiration for the writing.

#10: Me and Mr Darcy - Alexandra Potter. I read P&P in January so things related appeal. Just not particularly this book. I enjoyed it enough to finish it, but I found the main character a bit stupid at times, and it's written in the present tense and first person, neither of which I like. Also, the author is English writing an American character and I kept finding her using the wrong terminology which annoyed me.

#1 - A Clash Of Kings - George R.R. Martin

I love the story that he is painting, although I want to drown Theon Greyjoy. But there is just something dry and stilted in the writing style. It remains interesting, but slows down my usual reading speed to a devastating crawl. Looking forward to getting into the next book at some point.

#2 - All I Need To Know I Learned From Xena: Warrior Princess - Josepha Sherman

A cute little fluffy read. "Translated" by Josepha Sherman, the book is written by and from the point of view of Gabrielle, Xena's best friend. It gives a fun, humorous look into some of the situations they find themselves in over the first three seasons (what I like to call "The Golden Age of Xena"). Chapters are only about a page and a half long, and have such titles as "The God Of War Is Not An Equal Opportunity Employer." Not a great read, by any stretch - there are WAY better fan fics out there. But still worth the read...and even better, it is a "general" fic, meaning that there is no taking of sides in the subtext (Xena/Gab) vs shipper (any heterosexual pairing) debate - which is a breath of fresh air.

Shinju – Laura Joh Rowland

The first in the author’s series of murder-mysteries set in 17th Century Japan and with her protagonist, the samurai and police inspector of Edo (Tokyo) – Sano Ichiro.

This isn’t a historical period that I’ve visited before – beyond the odd subtitled movie and a youthful tendency to tune in each week to The Water Margin – but the historical details were fascinating, plentiful enough to provide context and colour, but never heavy-handed or overwhelming the plot. The murder-mystery was intriguing and the story populated with wonderful characters.

As the author appears to have written a large series of Sano mysteries and I seem to have most of them on the Kindle – looks like I’m going to be immersing myself in ancient Japan for some time to come!

LabRat

# 7 - To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

I've been wanting to read this book for ages and finally got to it. It's wonderful, I quite enjoyed it.

But it seems as if this year I'm lucky if I can get to read 20 books. I'm so far behind...

# 8 - Poems of William Blake - William Blake

This book comprises The Books of Experience and Innocence and The Book of Thel. Romantism isn't my favorite current by far (I'm more of a Modernism fan), but this work of William Blake was an agreeable experience. The poems in The Book of Experience had more of an edge to them, which made them my favorite in the whole colection.

Still happily engrossed in 17th Century Japan:

Sano Ichiro Series – Laura Joh Rowland

Bundori
The Way of the Traitor
The Concubine’s Tattoo
The Samurai’s Wife
Black Lotus
The Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria


LabRat

#13 Zone One by Colson Whitehead I like a good post-apocalyptic story. This one seemed to have potential with a zombie plague and great description but it never really went anywhere.

Joan

#3 - Double Dexter - Jeffy Lindsay

Not a great read, but still tons of fun. And despite the fact that it is about a serial killer, all of the Dexter books are very light, fluffy reads. However, there are certain problems that are consistant throughout the series. Jeff Lindsay is terrible when it comes to writing female characters - with the one exception of Deb. All other female characters are maddeningly annoying. And in this book, even Dexter isn't up to snuff. He wallows for too long in self-pity and doubt (he's been seen killing someone). And by the time the reveal is made of who the witness is, it is so painfully obvious to the reader. But, I will still read any further Dexter books that happen to come out.

Anna B. the Greek : If you like Jules Verne, I think that the best one is L'île mystérieuse. I read it in french, but I'm sure that you can find a translation in english or in greek.

10) Elantris - by Brandon Sanderson
The Shaod strikes at night, taking random people and turning them into demigods, or it did until ten years ago when all the gods lost their power and became the equivalent of immortal lepers. Now, the prince of the land wakes up to find himself dead and imprisoned to the once mythical city of Elantris, now a prison for all those struck by the Tranformation. With a style that takes three different characters and binds their stories together, this is a fantastic read, leaving you eager to see if the Elantrians can really take back their lives.

11) Warbreaker - by Brandon Sanderson
Breathing in Colors gives you magic to do impossible things, but that means little when the God King needs a bride from a neighboring country threatening to go to war with them and nothing is what it seems, including a sword who can talk. A funny, fast-moving, engaging plot with a love story, secrets buried in the city of Hallandra, and armies of the Undead shambling around, not to mention a god who doesn't believe in his own religion.

12) The Way Of Kings - by Brandon Sanderson
The first in what promises to be an epic series, this introduces a world of chasms and storms, where grass retracts into the ground under the onslaught of rains and little fairy-like creatures exist for everything--sickness, glory, happiness, depression, kings, springing up whenever those things come into existence. But a war supposedly ended centuries before is now rising up again to meddle in the lives of a doctor-turned-slave, a shy lady-turned-spy, a warrior lord-turned-religious-leader, and a servant-turned-into-assassin. I'm really looking forward to seeing where this series goes from here. This book was amazing, with flashbacks from the doctor's life, visions granted the warrior, lessions taught to the spy/scholar, and mysteries aplenty concerning the Honorless assassin. Not to mention, those fairy-like spren are just cool!

13) Mistborn - by Brandon Sanderson
A thousand years ago, the Lord Ruler took the power he was foretold to end and became a tyrant that keeps the peasants beaten and the nobility controlled. But when the Survivor of the Mists comes up with a plan to gather his crew of criminals and rob the Lord Ruler's treasury, not to mention apprentice a young street girl who just might be the best Mistborn ever born and kill the Lord Ruler...well, things certainly get interesting. If you ever wondered what would have happened if Frodo had actually managed to keep the Ring and take its power for himself, this is definitely the book for you!

14) Well Of Ascension - by Brandon Sanderson
Vin, trained by the Survivor, and Elend, set up as King in the Lord Ruler's place, have to find a way to protect the world they've liberated, which is no simple task when the mists are striking down innocents, every ambitious lord around is trying to snatch a piece of the kingdom, and an insane Mistborn is trying to lure Vin away. Just when you think you've won the day, something has to happen, and boy, do tons of things happen in this book. Who would have thought things would be WORSE if you took down the Dark Lord?

15) Hero Of Ages - by Brandon Sanderson
Vin and Elend now faces hordes of the terrifying koloss armies and a very deadly Inquisitor, augmented by Ruin's power, The shapechanging kandra are staging a coup, the Terris people are refugees, the volcanoes are erupting, and Sazed is having a crisis of faith. Not to worry, though--Kelsier is back...or is he? This entire book builds to an amazingly large crescendo that solves mysteries and answers the questions building since the beginning, but still takes the time to have wonderfully intimate, quiet moments between Vin and Elend.

16) The Alloy Of Law - by Brandon Sanderson
Three centuries after the world was saved, the people are approaching the age of industry, and lawmen and criminals face off in the Roughs, using their Misting powers to propel bullets around turns and set up bubbles that stop or speed up time. The Vanishers are robbing the trains of their valuable metals and only a retired lawman, now heir to his noble house, has a chance of stopping their immortal leader. It's amazing seeing how different the world is, yet recognizing it just the same. The western-style seems a little odd, but it really works, and it's fun to see their Allomantic magic being used right along with pistols and shotguns.

17) Infinity Blade: The Awakening - by Brandon Sanderson
The hero has killed the evil lord, but now what's he supposed to do? His people won't take him back, the palace has interfaces that are talking to him, and the sword he took from the God King isn't as immobile as he'd like. A quest seems like the thing to do. I've never played the video game this is based off, but it can stand on it's own and is an incredibly interesting story that blends sci-fi gadgets with an amusingly in-the-dark fantasy people.

18) Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians - by Brandon Sanderson
A young orphan gets a package from his parents on his thirteenth birthday--a bag of sand, and now suddenly the librarians, intent on dominating the world, are after him and his grandpa, who's always late for everything, is his only hope. I don't think I've ever laughed as hard as I did reading this book. I had to read it to my Dad, and now he's read them all himself too.

19) Alcatraz vs. the Scrivener's Bones - by Brandon Sanderson
Alcatraz is trying to learn to control his Talent for breaking things, but it's not easy when he's got to invade the Library of Alexrandia and try to avoid making his bodyguard, a girl his own age called Bastille who's really a Crystallian Knight, angry enough to hit, which is all too easy to do. Trust me, if you've ever felt clumsy or late or...well, anything to put you out of place, these books will make you think about how best to utilize your wonderful Smedry Talent.

20) Alcatraz vs. the Knights Of Crystallia - by Brandon Sanderson
Alcatraz is a hero and a lost son restored to the Free Lands, but She Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken (because no one can pronounce it) has arrived to take the city...and hand out really tasty cookies. Again, incredibly funny, particularly the narrator's over-the-top intros to each chapter.

21) Alcatraz vs. the Shattered Lens - by Brandon Sanderson
Okay, so things aren't looking up for Alcatraz, or any of the Smedrys, whose Talents--like arriving late, getting lost, waking up ugly, and breaking things--aren't able to help them face the invading hordes of different factions of Librarians. Humor usually lessens with each successive book, but this one never lets up and continues to make me laugh, as well as confuse me with the chapter numbering being completely off the wall!

I've been reading Brandon Sanderson since his first book came out in 2005, and I have to say there's a reason he's the fastest-growing star in fantasy circles. He has amazingly complex magic systems that stay true to themselves, characters that are each very individual and unique, peoples and details that make every world a very real place, and plots that always leave you guessing, seeing the hints, and still being astoundingly surprised when the end comes around, which is always too soon! He takes standard fantasy cliches and turns them upside down so that you still get the comfort of reading fantasy but are kept in suspense and interested all the way through to the last page. I'd recommend his books to anyone and read anything he wrote. Very good to get to sit down and reread through all these favorites!

# 9 - Raised from the ground - José Saramago

A narrative about the struggle of landless farmers before the portuguese revolution of 1974, and the occupation of abandoned lands that followed the hot summer of 75 while a young democracy was trying to establish a baseline. I found the wording that gives a feel of orality to the text more intricate than in other works of this author and harder to understand in certain parts. The story of the family that is central to Raised from the ground was very encompassing, and quite touching for someone whose family suffered similar struggles.

#11: The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson.

#12: The Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennett.
The Queen discovers books.

#13: A moveable Feast - Ernest Hemingway.
Account of his early years in Paris and all the fellow writers, poets, artists he knew there. Did find his style with its run-on sentences a bit tiresome at times, but still an interesting read.

5. Superman: The Wedding Album - Do comic books count? I finally broke down and bought this. I love the beginning, but I hate both Lois' and Clark's hair through-out. My main complaint (other than the style) is that her hair changes from scene to scene I don't realize it's actually her in some scenes until someone calls her "Lois". I know I have to remember when it was written. :rolleyes: I'm sure it was worse in the 70's & mid-80's. Jimmy, Ellen, Martha, & Jonathan were pretty spot on comparison to L&C, but I didn't recognize many of the other characters.

Technically, I have read more books than this so far this year, but I don't think Skippy Jon Jones, Fancy Nancy, Pinkolicious, and a children's adapation of King Arthur count (as they weren't my choice of reading materials).

Sano Ichiro Series – Laura Joh Rowland

The Dragon King’s Palace
The Perfumed Sleeve
The Assassin’s Touch
Red Chrysanthemum
The Snow Empress
The Fire Kimono
The Cloud Pavilion

I have no idea how thick - or otherwise - these are as I read them on Kindle, but I have to imagine that they're not epics. I seemed to get through them all very quickly.

Enjoyed them though.

Watch Them Die
The Next To Die
Vicious

A trio of Thriller Lite from Kevin O'Brien. First I've read from this author, but I'd like to read more. Very much in the Mary Higgins Clark realm of thrillers when it comes to plot and characters, but much better when it comes to writing style and execution imo. Apart from some frustration with stupid characters in the second book, I enjoyed these very much.

LabRat

#10 - Pyramids - Terry Pratchett

So far one of my favorites in the Discworld series. A parody about Ancient Egypt and the belief that pyramids could freeze time inside them - with all the chaos that would ensure.

#14 Mercy by Jodie Picoult Not one of her better books.

#11 - Agnes Grey - Anne Brontë

Still imagining all sorts of tortures for the first kids Agnes Grey tried to teach. Annoying evil brats from the 19th century.

#15 Home Again by Kristin Hannah . Not a bad story, a predicatable romance. I've just read better by this author.

#12 - Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote

I've got to see the movie now and compare it with the book.

They are very different.

I did a little wiki search and that was also the idea I got. Still haven't watched the movie, though (too much work and other stuff). But thanks for the heads up, Virginia.

Love You More – Lisa Gardner
Bone Harvest - Mary Logue

A couple of thrillers. LG is an old favourite and this was a good one from her. The Bone Harvest was a little weak on plot, but the psyche of the killer was keenly observed, and I enjoyed it, despite its flaws.

Color of Law – Mark Gimenez

I do like the occasional legal thriller and this was a great one. Our hero’s elite, privileged life as a corporate lawyer (I accidentally mistyped corrupt there for a minute, which isn’t far off the mark either!) falls apart spectacularly overnight when he is forced to go up against a powerful Senator and defend the prostitute accused of killing his son. Some have said it’s too pat, particularly in the way that things turn out so well and fall together so happily in the end, but, you know, sometimes that’s not a downside to a novel. I didn’t find it detracted at all and I really enjoyed this one. There was also a very nice note of sharp wit running through it, which was fun. I’ve added the rest of the author’s novels to my Wish List.

The Distant Hours – Kate Morton

At first when I opened this one up I had no clue why I’d added it to my Kindle as it seemed to be a generational/family issues novel – which isn’t my genre at all. But I was hooked from the start with the intriguing notion of a lost letter finally being delivered after fifty years sparking off a mystery from the past. As it turned out, the letter was pretty incidential but it was the starting point to more than one fascinating mystery in the lives of three elderly sisters. I need to read more from this author. Wonderful stuff.


The Strain – Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan

I’m a huge fan of many of Del Toro’s movies, so when I saw his name on this vampire invasion novel, I had to give it a try. And it wasn’t half bad. I’d place it at least on a par with Salem’s Lot. And it’s the first part of a trilogy, so even better. It had many of the staples of the genre of course – the genre-savvy kid, the old Eastern European foe of the Master vampire – but there were new and equally fascinating characters to join the gang of the Good and some really nice set pieces.

LabRat

#16 Don't Look Behind You by Ann Rule

Ravens – George Dawes Green

This started off with a quirky idea – a family wins millions on the super lottery and come to the attention of a couple of passing thugs, who keep them hostage in their home and demand half the winnings. But it was so poorly executed that it became increasingly irritating to read. More and more, none of the characters acted in any logical manner and the further I read into the book, the more the plot made zero sense.

I think that the author may have been trying to imply that the family was suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, but if so he has no idea of the psychology of the condition. I was amazed, when reading the Amazon reviews (many of which are as incredulous as I am that this book was so terrible and so overhyped by the publisher to boot) that this apparently took 13 years to write! Truly the most remarkable thing about this one. I want my wasted evening back. :p

The Night Watchman – Mark Mynheir

The first in a series of Chandler-esque thrillers. Not the best I’ve ever read for plot, but the principal characters were likeable and engaging and I wouldn’t mind reading more.

LabRat

# 13 - 35 sonnets - Fernando Pessoa

# 14 - Antinous A Poem - Fernando Pessoa

Straight from the early 20th century, two different works by my favorite poet. Antinous was a pleasant surprise (albeit a very short one)- like nothing else I had ever read from the ortonym, a tragic love story more simple in the wording than it's usual from this author.

35 sonnets is more in the usual introspective style of Fernando Pessoa. The predominant themes include the exploration of the id/ unconscious mind and the fragmentation of the soul, with a touch of angst caused by the loss of childhood and its innocence.

This last work seemed more consistent with the rest of Pessoa's criations than Antinous, but looking at the dates of both works, Antinous was written before the consolidation of his work which may explain its difference.

EDIT: Fernando Pessoa is the ortonym, not one of the heteronyms as I had accidentaly written.

#17 Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand
Nice summer read about three women gathering at Cape Cod.

#18 Something Blue by Emily Giffin
This book was a pleasant surprise. I've read so much 'chick lit' where the main character wasn't likeable but got away with her poor behavior etc... In this book, the vain main character reaches a point where her selfish behavior catches up with her and she realizes she needs to change.

Joan

#4 Micro by Michael Crichton and Richard Preston

I had my reservations about this one, truth be told. I'm a huge Michael Crichton fan, and having someone else finish his novel didn't sit right with me. Until I read it. Richard Preston did a commendable job of fitting into the same writing style as Michael Crichton. It was a seamless transition between to two writers, to the point where I have no idea where Richard Preston's contributions came in. What I found interesting is how complete this novel felt to me. And I wish that they had pulled in another author to clean up the last book, Pirate Latitudes, which was a complete manuscript found after Crichton's death in 2008.

Micro follows the tale of seven graduate students, all scientists in some area or another. They go to Hawaii to investigate a company that is looking to hire them. But, before they go, one of the student's brother goes missing - supposedly murdered by the CEO of the same company. When Peter confronts the CEO, Vin Drake, about Eric's death, Drake beats him up. All of the students are ushered into the bowels of the company and Drake uses the company's new technology to shrink them all down to half an inch tall. They are then dumped out into the Hawaiian rainforest, in hopes that nature will kill them. Now, they must avoid succumbing to the various horrors of the natural world, the impending danger of the "micro-bends," and attempts by Drake to ensure that they are killed.

What I like about this one is that it isn't a cutesy ride like "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids." There's no cutesy flight on the back of a bee or swimming in a bowl of cereal. This is nature at its most beautiful and its most deadly all at the same time. At half an inch tall, even an ant possessed the power and ability to kill them. It's definitely a page-turner, and I loved every moment of it.

The Owl Killers – Karen Maitland

I loved this intriguing little historical novel. In the medieval village of Ulewic, the villagers labour under the yoke of superstition and fear of the mysterious, vigilante Owl Masters. When a commune of women set up on the village outskirts, the scene is set for a clash of cultures that is doomed to end in tragedy.

I’d always understood that life was physically hard for those living in those times, but this book made me realise just how psychologically tough it must have been. When the world was a mysterious, threatening place all around you, when scant scientific knowledge of how everything worked meant that superstitions and fear of almost everything ruled every minute of your day and your every action - it must have been a terrifying and stressful world.

It also introduced me to something I had no idea existed – the Beguine Communities . Absolutely fascinating and yet another female contribution to history which seems to have been ignored and swept into invisibility.

The Wolf Chronicles 1: Promise of the Wolves – Dorothy Hearst

I am SUCH a sucker for fantasy novels involving wolves and dragons – especially if they have a bond with humans. So this one seemed to be a no-brainer. Sadly, it didn’t live up to its early promise and although I was invested in the characters from early on, I rapidly got restless and then bored as the author seemed to spend too much time on the small details.

I did enjoy it in the end, but as book one came to something of a conclusion and didn’t end on a cliffhanger, I don’t have much interest in reading the rest of the trilogy. Shame as the idea of exploring the bond between wolf and human 14,000 years in the past was a good one. It just could have been better in the execution.

Dark Places – Gillian Flynn

I really enjoyed this unusual thriller, which kept me guessing to the end. Libby Day is damaged – haunted by the night, twenty-one years ago, when her mother and sisters were massacred, apparently by her brother. But did he do it? I loved the way all the little bits and pieces throughout the novel – little passing bits of information, barely noticed – came together and became important and the solution to the mystery.

The Fallen Moon I: The Dark Griffin - K J Taylor

After the disappointment of the wolves, this was more like it. A fantasy world in which griffins and humans bond. Betrayed by his Lord, Aaron finds his life spiralling into misery and worse. And in the Arena, the formerly wild griffin, Darkheart endures slavery and degradation. Two outcasts destined to find one another.

Lots of unanswered questions going into book two - I can't wait to read it.

LabRat

#19 Body Surfing by Anita Shreve


Joan

#20 Matched by Ally Condie

I was concerned when so many of the reviews on this book compared it to the Hunger Games. It sounded like it could be a cheap imitation. While this book took place in a futuristic society and there was a love triangle, it had plenty going on to keep my interest.

Joan

A Hole In The Universe – Mary McGarry Morris

Again, something I wouldn’t have thought I would have liked, but I really enjoyed this quirky little tale of Gordon, who has spent the last 25 years in prison for a crime he really didn’t commit.

Now, Gordon has to feel his way through the modern world, trying to reconnect with his family, struggling to cope with the demands of those around him who seek more from him than he feels ready to give and who are often less of a decent human being than he is, for all that they look down on him as a 'monster' and killer.

Gordon was such a sympathetic character it would have been hard not to empathise with him and it was an engaging and poignant journey. And it had a happy ending – or at least to be getting that way.

Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman

I absolutely adored this fantasy. A wonderfully quirky but believable world, genuinely creepy villians, a real sense of peril and intriguing characters. Just loved every moment and it left me with a huge smile on my face. Fantastic!

Breathless - Dean Koontz

Koontz has always been one of my favourite horror/suspense authors, but, lately, his books have begun to disappoint and, sadly, this one was a bit of a let-down.

The main plot was entertaining enough to begin with - our hero and heroine were typical Koontz characters and the plotline more than familiar. But towards the middle, the book descended into a mishmash of illogic. The ending was very rushed and a bit of an anti-climax. Then there was the odd insertion of several subplots with characters whose stories ran parallel to the main plot and were entirely unconnected to it for most of the book.

In the end, a couple of these characters interacted with the heroes, but only in the most glancing way and very briefly. And, in one case - Henry - somewhat bizarrely. It was hard not to conclude that the author shoehorned these subplots in to pad out the main plot which wasn't enough for a novel on its own and whose main elements merely rehashed several previously excellent novels such as Watchers.

Very disappointing. But I have a lot of Koontz books to get to, so I'm hoping for something better and more like classic Koontz to come.

LabRat

#21 Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

and #22 The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancy
My son loved this book and insisted that I read it. I haven't read horror in a while yet I was very impressed by it.

Joan

15 - Scenas da Aldeia - Antonio Augusto de Miranda

Found this portuguese author at a free ebooks website. The story was written in the early 20th century and deals with prejudice at a small village.

16 - The Art of War - Sun Tzu

Just because I always wanted to know why Lex wanted to seize the high ground. Now I do.

17 - The Communist Manifesto - Karl Marx

Another book I've read because I was curious about what exactly was in it that made some people dedicate their lives to create the society there described, whereas others hated it. The most interesting thing about it were the parallelisms with contemporary society and the current economic crisis, even though it was written over two centuries ago.

18 - Violet: A Fairy Story - Caroline Snowden Guild

Supposedly it's a children's book, but deals with some violence that wouldn't be approved today in a product targeted for kids. Didn't like the story much, but the descriptions of the fields and flowers were great.

Since comics were already inaugurated in this thread I decided to add what I've been reading these past months in that section.

19 - The Guild: Clara - Felicia Day

20 - The Guild: Bladezz - Felicia Day, Sean Becker

21 - The Guild: Zaboo - Felicia Day, Sandeep Parikh

22 - The Guild: Vork - Felicia Day, Jeff Lewis, Darick Robertson

23 - The Guild: Tink - Felicia Day

24 - The Guild (vols 1, 2 and 3) - Felicia Day

I loved The Guild comics, especially the fact that they dealt with the characters' back stories.

25 - Serenity: Better Days and Other Stories (vol 1 and 2) - Joss Whedon

26 - Serenity: Float Out - Patton Oswalt

27 - Serenity: The Shepherd's Tale - Zack Whedon

28 - Serenity: Those Left Behind - Joss Whedon

I'm a Firefly fan. These books helped shape a destiny for the characters that were left hanging even after Serenity. I enjoyed them a lot, but in particular The Shepherd's Tale (I'd been dying to know Book's backstory since the beginning of the series) and Float Out (because Wash was just awesome).

#23 I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Great sci-fi tale about an alien hiding on Earth from his enemies. I'm already looking for the sequel.

Joan

I never really read the book because I came to it right after watching and thoroughly enjoying the movie and the book was very close in plot, so I felt I hadn't missed anything. But I agree it was a great story.

I haven't managed to track down the sequels, although I seem to recall I was a bit put off by the fact that they didn't continue that story, but went on with other characters and I really wanted to know what happened next after the movie ended. I could be wrong though. So if you do get to read them, I'd be very interested to hear what you thought.

Anyway, just thought I'd add my thumbs up for this one.

LabRat

I forgot there was a movie version. I'll have to check that out. I'm sure I'll enjoy that too.

The author purposely left several critical questions unanswered in the first book. I'm hoping there will answers in the sequels. The second book is at my library - I just have to go get it. The third book will be available at my library this August.

Joan

A Song Of Ice And Fire – George R. R. Martin

A Game Of Thrones
A Clash Of Kings
A Storm Of Swords
A Feast For Crows
A Dance With Dragons

Given that I had FINALLY caught up with S1 of Game of Thrones on DVD (Excellent!), I decided to treat myself at last to ADWD, which I’ve been hoarding on my Kindle. However, just a few chapters in and I found myself hopelessly lost, unable to recall how certain characters had ended up where they were and even who some people were. So I gave up and decided to go back to the start and bring myself back up to speed.

It wasn’t a chore. Second time around was every bit as enthralling as the first and just a few pages in to AGOT, I was swept away into the world of Westeros and beyond. As for ADWD, it didn’t disappoint. I loved every minute – one of those rare books that I kept reluctantly putting aside because I didn’t want to finish it too fast.

LabRat

#24 Soft Apocalypse by Will McIntosh

Rather than some cataclysmic event, this book deals with the gradual decline of our civilization. It starts with a band of college grads who can't find jobs and live in tents and follows them over several years. It got a bit depressing. What was interesting was that it showed how the main character tried adapting to his circumstances but couldn't completely become someone else. He tried to steal for food and ran into terrible consequences. The ending was surprisingly touching.

Joan

Mistress of Rome - Kate Quinn

Not the best historical novel I've read, but not the worst either. The author had a habit of dropping in modern terms - like one character describing another as "a bitch on wheels". That did tend to jar me out of the story at times. I enjoyed it, for what it was, but I'm not tempted to buy books 2 and 3.

LabRat

#25 Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner

Joan

29 - Undead and Unstable - Maryjanice Davidson

What To Do When Someone Dies - Nicci French

I'd read one book by this author previously - a thriller - and it was on the basis of enjoying that that I picked up this one. And in many ways it was a thriller - when Ellie's husband is killed in a car crash with a mysterious woman beside him, the assumption of everyone around her is that he must have been having an affair. Ellie's need to prove them wrong and to know that her trust in her husband hadn't been betrayed becomes a dangerous obsession.

But, really, it wasn't about that at all. It was about a woman dealing with her grief and that emotional depth lifted it beyond the standard thriller. The final few pages in particular left me with a lump in my throat and even wiping away a tear or two, full of empathy for Ellie and her journey. Skillfully done.

The Safe House - Nicci French

I enjoyed this one, too, although I found the ending a little unsatisfactory. In fact I didn't realise at first it was the ending as my Kindle edition ran on into the first few chapters of another book and I ran with it, going, "Huh? What? Who is Jake?" before I realised I was now reading an entirely different book! Then I went back and read the ending again and it did work - but I didn't like the fact that the bad guy got away. Still, even though some of the plot details were ludicrous, I liked this one.


LabRat

#26 Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand

Not as light as I was expecting but engrossing story. I have a few nitpicks as to how realistically the characters behaved but it was entertaining.

#27 Defending Jacob by William Landay

This one got me thinking and it surprised me too.

Joan

#28 The Darkest Night by Ron Franscell

Generally I like true crime novels that help us solve the mystery of who dun it and why. This book focused more on the lives impacted by the crime.

Joan

Odd Thomas
Forever Odd
Brother Odd
The Darkest Evening Of The Year
Phantoms


As Deanna Dwyer (written in the ‘70’s)

The Dark of Summer
Demon Child


A mixed bag from Dean Koontz and sadly not many of them left me with the feeling of a book well read. Ironically, the one I really enjoyed most was Darkest Evening of the Year, which has been pretty much panned by fans and critics alike. Yes, it was annoyingly maudlin and corny in its lengthy passages on the delights of Golden Retrievers and their owners (although I understand this was written shortly after Koontz lost his beloved Golden and was written in part as a tribute to her. A bit self-indulgent maybe, but perhaps understandable.). And the ending was rushed and ridiculous – which seems to be an increasing hallmark of his more recent works. But I liked it all the same.

I also somewhat enjoyed the Dwyer novels, which were very much in the realm of Victoria Holt gothic mysteries. But not to the extent that I’d consider any of them keepers. Still, they passed a few hours well and were a quick, easy read.

LabRat

I've enjoyed some of Dean Koontz's works too but they tend to vary broadly in quality. I really enjoyed Odd Thomas , he was a great character. (Trying not to spoil things here...) The events of the first books which changed him so drastically made it hard for me to enjoy the other books. Was this an issue for you?

Joan

I enjoyed the first one very much - to my surprise, I was even taken in by the twists. I enjoyed the other two as well, but was a little disappointed with some of the plot. I found the inclusion of famous ghosts a little boring, for example, especially as they don't seem to add anything to the plot. In book two - also trying not to include spoilers <g> - the famous ghost with the salt shakers? When salt shakers were mentioned later, I thought - aha! And if that had connected that would have been really cool. Instead, the solution was much more mundane and unconvincing, I thought.

But these were really minor quibbles. I thought they were atmospheric and OT was a good character - although he did remind me a lot at times of the Snow character from some of Koontz's other books, with a similar voice.

I wasn't too affected by the events of the first book, no.

So I couldn't say that they are favourites and I'm on the cusp of reading the others in the series - if they come across my path I would read and probably enjoy them, but I have no urge to hunt them down - but they were still enjoyable.

LabRat

#29 Sand Castles by Antoinette Stockenberg

A family wins the lottery and their lives change.

Joan

My e-reader crashed about 3 weeks ago. I'm so frustrated that I won't be able to finish the books I was reading. At least I still have a library card, but I'm not sure I'll make the 50 book mark this year. But then again, it's not about the quantity but the quality.

#5 - Tyrannosaur Canyon by Douglas Preston

Boring, boring, boring read. The quotes from critics on the cover are misleading. Calling it "like Jurassic Park" made me think I was jumping into a world with living, breathing dinos. Instead, we get a lukewarm plot about people going after an important T-Rex skeleton.


#6 - Hercules: The Legendary Journeys: The First Casualty by David L. Seidman

I don't know what it is about these novel writers. But we fanfiction writers do a much better job. Hardly any of the characters sounded like themselves, especially Hercules. And I'm normally a fan of having Salemoneus show up, but he just didn't make sense/add anything here. I couldn't figure out why he was traveling with Herc and not Iolaus. More of a chore to read this one than anything else.

The Voice In The Night
The Good Guy
The Husband
In The Corner Of His Eye

Another batch from Dean Koontz and I have to say this was more like it. I enjoyed all of these; I didn't check publication dates, but they were certainly more in tune with Koontz's heyday than the books I've read recently. This is how it's done.

LabRat

# 7 - The Book of Atrus (Myst, Book 1) by Rand Miller

Surprisingly good. I never have too much hope for stuff like this, but the story drew me in. Actually, it made me want to go back and revisit the games. It's not particularly well written, from a literary standpoint. But I enjoyed every moment and am thinking about looking for the other two in the series.

#30 Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon

Another interesting postapocolyptic story.
(Thanks for the rec!)


Joan

#30 - The Coma - Alex Garland

Very enjoyable. I loved the way the main character made connections through the different scenarios that he was presented with. Somehow reminded me of the tv series Ashes to Ashes.

#31 - A Christmas Visitor - Anne Perry

Easy to read crime story. Especially liked the fact that the "team" had two women who actually contributed to unveil the mystery.

And by the way, on my previous post I meant Life on Mars, not Ashes to Ashes.

#31 We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver

I knew this was going to be disturbing,since Kevin killed several kids at a high school. Told from the POV of the mother, it took some very different twists than I expected.

Joan

#32 - Metropole - Ferenc Karinthy

I kept waiting for the main character to wake up and realise all had been a dream.

I've been terrible about keeping track of/posting the books I've read, but this one I have to mention because it's written by my ninth grade English teacher!

Blind Luck - by Scott Carter

I just found out he wrote it, and now I'm waiting for it to come in the mail from the book store

One Door Away From Heaven
Sole Survivor
Ticktock

More Koontz. Another batch I enjoyed - although often despite the plotting rather than because of it.

Mr. Murder - Dan Wells
I Don't Want To Kill You - Dan Wells

I really enjoyed these two sequels to the 'teen Dexter' book I read last year. Not sure if the author intends this just to be a trilogy, but it seems to me there's plenty of scope still for more and I'd definitely be eager to read them.

LabRat

#33 - Coconut Unlimited - Nikesh Shukla

I'm not much of a hip hop person but I had fun reading the story of three indian teenage boys who wanted to be black rappers. It was a male fest, but still somewhat endearing because of their general innocence.

#34 - Going Postal - Terry Pratchett

Virgin Widow - Anne O'Brien

I really enjoyed this historial novel/ romance from the perspective of Anne Neville, who would become wife and queen to Richard III. O'Brien's writing style is easy to take and I liked the way she concentrated on the characters with the mimumum of detail on their surroundings. She made an excellent job of filling in the blanks from the sparse detail that history has recorded, putting an intriguing spin on them.

LabRat

#35 - Is Just a Movie - Earl Lovelace

This was one of the best books I read until now. Set in Trinidad and Tobago, the story (and smaller stories within) is mostly about affirmation and finding a sense of belonging. It's very compelling and at the same time fun and light to read, even in the darker passages.

#8 - The Omen Machine by Terry Goodkind

The latest in the Sword of Truth series, this picks up immediately after the last book, Confessor(?). Richard, now the Lord Rahl, finds a machine hidden deep within the People's Palace, which spews out prophecies. Those prophecies are unwittingly repeated by people with a touch of the gift (magic), which makes them really, really bad. Richard must find a way to save the people he loves - particularly Kahlan, his wife.

The book was a lot of fun, even if Terry Goodkind isn't the most poetic of writers. He still paints a bold and vivid picture of Richard's world. The big problem came from the end of the book. It just sort of...ends. One of the two major baddies isn't dealt with AT ALL. And Richard and Kahlan are left in a precarious, if somewhat hopeful, situation.

I can only assume that the author will be giving us another book. I only hope that he gives it to us soon.

14. The Thirty Nine Steps - John Buchan.

15. Dracula - Bram Stoker.

16. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins.

17. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins.

18. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins.

#32 The Worthing Saga by Orson Scott Card

I've enjoyed other books by this author but I didn't like this one as well. The concept was interesting but the writer seemed to do more telling than showing.

Joan

# 36 - Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane

It was quite enjoyable, but I felt that it was also somewhat predictable. Still, a good read.

# 37 - (The Complete) Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi

Wonderful comic about the coming of age of the author. Combines her growth with her perspective on the revolution and war in Iran - Satrapi's native land.

# 38 - Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

My reading of classics continues. I really liked this book, especially the dilemma that was presented and the shocking but unescapable resolution.

6. Half Magic by Edward Eager - Four children find a charm that grants their wishes, but only by a half.

My children and I really enjoyed this. Fun read. Very: Be careful what you wish for!

(Yeah, I know, 6. :rolleyes: Sorry, I've been busy filling Labrat's inbox this year. Writing instead of reading. Most of what I've read has come from the Archives.)

The Echo Man - Richard Montanari

Discovering the delights of Netflix and a desire to get through the two shelves of 'real' books that have been sitting there for two years, despite being by my top ten authors, has slowed my reading down lately. I have been SO spoiled by my Kindle.

So, despite thoroughly enjoying this thriller, it seemed to take me an absolute age to get through. I'm just not used to dealing with small fonts that you can't change to suit and the weight of a real book, these days. :p

But I don't expect to be let down by any of these guys and on this one I wasn't. Did just what it said on the tin.

LabRat

OMG, one of my favorite childhood books! Check out the rest of Eager's oeuvre:

Half Magic
Magic By The Lake
Knight's Castle
The Time Garden

(he wrote some others too but these are the ones I liked the best.)

I agree with the comment about "it teaches you to be careful what to wish for." Of course, if you've read enough fairy tales, you pick up on that too.

My daughter loved his books too.

Joan

Hey Labby, Do we need to list movies now? LOL I'm weird, my taste in movies is way different than my taste in books. I'm more of a chick flick, feel good movie person. I may be able to read about the shooting and fighting and blowing up but I don't want to watch it.
Sue

#33 The Curse of the Wendigo by Rick Yancey

My son loves these books so he got me to read them. Very creepy and well written.

Joan

Trail Of Blood - Lisa Black

I got this one on the basis of having enjoyed a couple of others by this author. But, somehow, I just couldn't get properly into this one. I couldn't seem to connect with the characters. I was very interested in the portions set in 1935 and the problems a police force had investigating a serial killer without recourse to modern forensics and the hindrances of social attitudes of the times. Unfortunately, these amounted to only a handful of scenes so, ultimately, this one was a bit of a disappointment.

LabRat

#34 Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner

I needed something lighter after reading horror and this certianly fit the bill. Now on to the third book in the horror series.

Joan

Moonlight Mile - Dennis Lehane

I've always had a great deal of affection for Lehane's Kenzie and Gennaro characters so I was looking forward to this new addition to the series.

I enjoyed it but it felt a little flat - undoubtedly because our heroes were now parents and reluctant detectives with much of the elements which had made them so interesting removed. This was mostly a study in leaving the excitements of unburdened youth behind and facing up to the staid burdens of a mortgage and adulthood. So it was a little like having to say goodbye to some old friends and tinged with that sadness.

So that aspect was bound to be slightly disappointing and I hope if there's another book in the series Kenzie changes his mind pronto about giving up on his previous career choices!

Sacrifice - S. J. Bolton
Awakening - S. J. Bolton

Two of the best thrillers I've read this year - brilliant. Full of twists and turns, great characters and two terrific heroines. With Awakening, I was also fascinated by the theory of the divinity of snakes, which I'd never heard before. These have definitely rocketed Bolton to the ranks of my favorite authors list and someone whose books I'll be snapping up soon as I can get my hands on them.

LabRat :-)

#35 The Isle of Blood by Rick Yancey

Well written horror story but definitely creepy. This is the third book of the series and, in addition to the latest monster quest,the author continues to develop the relationship between the monstrumologist doctor and his apprentice, young Will Henry.

Joan

The King's Mistress - Gillian Bagwell

I found a section of cheap ebooks on my Nexus and decided to give this one a go. I have to admit that there are certain advantages to reading on the Nexus as opposed to the Kindle. I do appreciate a nice full colour book cover for one. That's something I do miss on the Kindle. I also liked that it was a touch screen and the page turning feature.

The book itself however....Jane Lane - a young noblewoman who risked death by aiding the fugitive Prince Charles to escape Oliver Cromwell - was obviously an extraordinary woman for her times and her story is one of amazing courage and excitement. Not only did she aid Charles in escape to France but when she returned home and learned that her part in the plot had been discovered she simply walked out of her home to the nearest port and found her way alone to Charles' French court in exile.

Sadly, the book gave me no sense of what an astonishing adventure this was. It wasn't badly written, but there was just some spark missing, so that it never truly engaged me. The real story read on Wiki was much more enthralling than this ever got.

LabRat

#36 Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

This was a companion piece to "Something Blue". Each book tells the story from a different character's POV.

Joan

Mystic River - Dennis Lehane

I've been meaning to get to this one for a time. Not just because it's by one of my favourite authors, but because I've seen the movie and was curious to compare the two.

As it turns out, the movie stuck close to the plot. What we got from the book was a lot more detail about the characters lives, motivations and thoughts. Plus there were two plot points which I couldn't recall, so I enjoyed catching up with those.

Really enjoyable.

LabRat :-)

#37 Crossed by Ally Condie (Part of the Matched Trilogy]

I really enjoyed the first book in this series (Matched) about a girl in an oppresive futuristic society. The second one was a bit disappointing. There's potential for interesting revelations in the third installments, but nothing super exciting revealed in this book.

Joan

Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane

I had a similar curiosity here as with Mystic River, maybe more so because, although I enjoyed the movie, I found the central premise ludicrous, which is not something I often find with this author.

Again, the plot of book and movie were pretty well matched and I still found it ridiculous that the characters would embark on such a plan while knowing - as they repeatedly tell us - that this man is prone to excessive violence.

For all that, I did enjoy it. I preferred the more complex final scene from the movie though, with its more layered nuances, than as it was portrayed in the book.

So not bad but definitely not my favourite tale from Lehane.

LabRat

John Connolly is in my top three favourite thriller authors list (along with Lee Child and Robert Crais), so I've been looking forward to reading the next two in his Charlie Parker series for some time.

The Whisperers

A worthy addition to the series with lots of Connolly's trademark spookiness. I understand there's been a lot of debate among readers as to whether his books should be classed as thrillers or horror. I say both. Creepy as any horror novel with a generous dose of maverick detective/thriller and witty dialogue thrown in. As a mix it works for me and I don't see the need to pigeonhole it.

My only twin disappointments with this one were that Parker's cohorts, the retired hitman Louis and his partner the ex-thief Angel were barely to be seen (I miss them) and a villain death cribbed almost wholesale from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Just started the next in the series - The Burning Soul which has had an intriguing start....

LabRat

Wow...I'm really, really behind and need to catch up!!

5. "Pretties" by Mark Westerfield

6. "Specials" by Mark Westerfield

7. "Extras" by Mark Westerfield

8. "Lover Reborn" by J. R. Ward

9. "Best of Edgar Allan Poe"

10. "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

In my own defense, I was out of work for seven months and did very little but look for a job. I haven't even been writing <gasp > when I should have since I had all that extra time!!!

My daughter just finished this series and absolutely loved it. She's trying to get me to read it. I've liked some of this author's other works.

How did you like it?

Joan

I loved it!! I've actually read all four books three times now. You should take your daughter's advice...lol

The Burning Soul - John Connolly

I enjoyed this one even more than the last. Creepiness. An intriguing mystery. Lots of twists. Several plot strands coming together. And laugh out loud dialogue. Classic Connolly.

LaRat :-)

Gone Tomorrow - Lee Child (Reread)
61 Hours - Lee Child
Worth Dying For - Lee Child

Technically, I shouldn't enjoy Child's novels. The plots hinge on too many co-incidences and incredible luck. Just the kind of thing I usually hate. But - and it's a huge but - it's Jack Reacher. <g> And you just gotta love the man. I'd forgive Jack just about anything. So, as usual, I just buckled on up and thoroughly enjoyed the mayhem.

LabRat :-)

11. "The Colorado Kid" by Stephen King

12. "The Weird Sisters" by Eleanor Brown

#38 The Stand by Stephen King This was one of the very first apocalyptic books I ever read. I haven't re-read it since the eighties when I picked up the thousand page + completed version. I wanted to see if it held up well over time. It did.

Joan

Actually, this was the first -- and only -- SK book I've ever read. I liked the mini-series so much I wanted to read the book. I wasn't disappointed. I figure the rest of his stuff is too for me.

You might be right on that. He does go for gross and scary. His earlier works (The Shinning, Salem's Lot, Night Shift) tend to be better than the later stuff (Cell, Duma Key Point, Dream Catcher). He comes up with interesting premises but they don't get resolved well.

Joan

13. "39 Clues, Book 4: Beyond the Grave" by Jude Watson

From The Dead - Mark Billingham

It's been a time since I checked in with Billingham's grumpy London detective, Tom Thorne, but he hasn't lost any of his curmudgeonly charm.

LabRat :-)

#39 The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

Second of the trilogy. Not as good as the first book but I'll read the next one.

Joan

Full Dark, No Stars - Stephen King

Over the years, I've been one of King's greatest fans and fiercest critics. I think the last book of his I truly enjoyed was way back with Dolores Claiborne. And I definitely didn't enjoy the last short story collection he produced.

So I approached this one with some degree of trepidation. But, to my delight, within a few pages of the first story, I was absorbed. And I enjoyed every one of the four novellas/shorts in this collection. It seemed like a real callback to better days.

Under The Dome - Stephen King

2009 seems to have been a good year for King, because he also wrote this and, once again, it seemed like the old King resurfaced. There wasn't much that was new about the plot - King himself has revisited this one before, as did Star Trek in part in the sixties - but that didn't matter. Here was King doing what he does best - producing a set of characters so real, so complicated, who don't always do the right or smart or logical thing, that you are immediately invested in their fate and want to see them win out against the evil hounding them.

LabRat

Based on your recommendation, I might have to try those out. King does tend to vary quite a lot in quality. I've heard that 11/22/63 is supposed to be good too.

Joan

14. "39 Clues, Book 5: The Black Circle" by Patrick Carman

15. "Murder, She Wrote: Coffee, Tea or Murder?" by Donald Bain

#40 Uglies by Scott Westerfeld This futuristic society novel is just as good as others said it would be. On to the sequel...

Joan

The Company of Liars - Karen Maitland

Maitland is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors. I loved this quirky little tale, set against the backdrop of a medieval England beset by a spreading plague and steeped in mysticism and superstition. Against the background of this terrifying collapse of the world around them, the author assembles a company of nine strangers - all of them naturally itinerant travellers and all of them with a dark secret. As they set off on their journey, intent on escaping the disease, they are unaware that they take with them a malevolent evil intent on exposing their 'lies' and punishing them for them.

Also fascinating were the historical notes at the end of the book. That experts now believe that the Pestilance (Black Death) was not in fact one plague, but three. That because it didn't only kill humans but also dogs, horses, sheep and cattle and coupled with the onset of an extraordinary climate change which saw a year of rain, no summer and failing crops, as many people died in those years of starvation than disease. That the Chuch of the time declared it heresey to suggest werewolves and vampires didn't exist and, indeed, two of the Vatican's theories as to the rapid spread of plague was that it was a malevolent act of Jews or vampires...

A wonderful read. I look forward to more of Maitland's quirky, fascinating imagination soon.

LabRat

The Gallows Curse - Karen Maitland

Another entrancing tale from Maitland, full of the rich characters and dark secrets which are becoming her trademark.

LabRat :-)

#41 Pretties by Scott Westerfeld Another good one in the series. On to the next one...

Joan

Echoes of the Great Song - David Gemmell

Having so enjoyed the author's Troy trilogy a time back, I've been keen to try some more of his work. The first thing about this one was that it was a standalone novel and I did think that it had the plot and characters to have been expanded to the more usual trilogy. As a single book it seemed a little rushed towards the end.

But that was my only complaint. I really enjoyed it. All the traditional elements and the grand landscape of emotions were present and the world and characters were intriguing and sympathetic.

LabRat

Beautiful Lies - Lisa Unger

This was a little more than the standard thriller I'd assumed it would be, although a lot of the plot did depend on our heroine missing the blindingly obvious. Still enjoyable for all that.

LabRat :-)

#42 Specials by Scott Westerfeld

Last of the series - a good read.

Joan

Sliver of Truth - Lisa Unger

This turned out to be a sequel to the previous novel. I enjoyed it. Our heroine appeared to have learnt a lot from her previous experiences and was much quicker on the uptake this time around.

LabRat :-)

Dark Moon - David Gemmell

I really loved this stand alone fantasy novel. Characters who were easy to hate and easy to love and an exciting plot that kept me entertained throughout. In tone and style, it reminded me a lot of some of the works of one of my other favourite fantasy authors - Guy Gavriel Kay. Novels like Tigana and A Song For Arbonne. Definitely going to have to go find a copy of Legend now and explore more of Gemmell's fascinating worlds.

LabRat

#43 The Girl's Guide to Homelessness by Brianna Karp

I liked parts of this book. She was upbeat about being homeless and had good ideas to keep herself going. Then she got involved in an on-line romance and I could see the hand writing on the wall way before she did.

Joan

16. "39 Clues, Book 6: In Too Deep" by Jude Watson

17. "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarden" by Robert Fulghum

18. "39 Clues, Book 7: The Viper's Nest" by Peter Lerangis

19. "39 Clues, Book 8: The Emperor's Code" by Gordon Korman

20. "Dark Lover" first novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward

21. "39 Clues, Book 9: Storm Warning" by Linda Sue Park

22. "Envy" by J.R. Ward (third in a series so far)

23. "39 Clues, Book 10: Into the Gauntlet" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

#44 The Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner

It took me a while to get into this book about a damaged woman developing a TV show. It improved as the story went along.

Joan

The Burning - Sue Walker

An entertaining little mystery in the Mary Higgins Clark style. I thought the ending was a little rushed and didn't quite hang together, but I enjoyed it all the same.

LabRat :-)

#45 Three Dog Nightmare by Chuck Negron

I saw Three Dog Night recently and was curious about the missing original singer. What a disturbing story.

Joan

#46 Reached by Ally Condie

This was the last book in a futuristic society trilogy. I really enjoyed the first book of the series but the others weren't as engaging.


Joan

#47 Murdered Innocents by Corey Mitchell

For a true crime novel, this wasn't the greatest. I wasn't fully convinced that they'd convicted the right people.

Joan

#48 Grace by T. Greenwood

A good family drama.

Joan

22) The Shape Of Desire - by Sharon Shinn
Okay, so I'll read anything by this author, which is why I went ahead and bought this book without reading it first, and of course this is the one time I was very disappointed. It showed little of her usual descriptive and emotive powers, was told all through the view of a person on the sidelines, and built up to a conclusion concerning the love story that never came. Not to mention, it was much more explicit than I feel comfortable reading; definitely my least favorite of all her books.

23) Recursion - by Tony Ballantyne
The first in a trilogy, this book takes alternating chapters of people in different centuries and shows the growing expansion of AI influence on humanity. A bit confusing to follow at times, but the climax and revelation about how the AI grew was very intriguing.

24) Capacity - by Tony Ballantyne
This second book was also very good, and I read it very quickly, eager to find out how much of the story was real and how much was just a hologram.

25) Divergence - by Tony Ballantyne
I have a feeling that if you're a physicist, this book would be pretty cool. As it is, though, I was left completely confused. The entire climax left me wondering if they really solved their problems, or if they just got rid of the only thing that could have saved them. A bit disappointing, but probably worth it if you want a different view of AI than the old, worn out tropes.

26) The Eye Of The World - by Robert Jordan
Okay, so I've been reading these books since I was nine years old, and this is probably the twentieth time I've read through at least the first seven of these or so, and I can safely say that they never get old. They're so big and epic and yet so personal and unique that it never fails to draw me in. The story of Rand being drawn into a quest that turns out to be so much more than he thought, and his friends coming along with him, are so expertly woven all together with the simultaneous story of an age-old battle between good and evil. I love all the foreshadowing and prophecies that are dropped in this early book -- even though this first one is almost a stand-alone story, so many of these prophecies are recognizable as happening throughout the later books.

27) The Great Hunt - by Robert Jordan
Now that Rand and his friends think they've defeated the Dark One, they each have their own paths to take, until the Wheel brings them all back together to face a new enemy, and the Dark One isn't so easy to defeat as all that.

28) The Dragon Reborn - by Robert Jordan
I love how the first books are told almost exclusively through Rand's view, but each book from here on out starts to add in more and more characters' POV, broadening the story and opening up more of the complexities of the story. This one is always interesting to read because we get the first bits of insanity Rand's Power inflicts on him and also get more of Mat, who is always a favorite!

29) The Shadow Rising - by Robert Jordan
Rand has a plan now, and I love the way we know he has a plan and the way he implements it from here on out without ever telling us the whole thing, so that we discover it rather than merely wait for it to be finished. The inclusion of the Aiel and the flashbacks a thousand years ago, before the Dark One got out of his prison the last time, are so cool, showing us that this world used to be a science-fiction one, until the Breaking of the World beneath the last Dragon.

30) The Fires Of Heaven - by Robert Jordan
I love this book because we get some wonderful character progression between Rand and Morraine, as well as the battle prowess of Mat thanks to the memories of hundreds of tactical geniuses he now has in his head. Aviendha and Elayne's stories also grow much more interesting.

31) Lord Of Chaos - by Robert Jordan
This one is so painful to read because Rand has to go through so much! It also introduces the new Aes Sedai storyline with Egwene, which manages to give a very compelling story to my least favorite character.

32) A Crown Of Swords - by Robert Jordan
Love the show-down between Rand and Sammael! This one brings in a whole host of stories, now that each character has separated and begun their own adventures, and yet each of them continues to be woven all together in a way still leading to the Last Battle.

33) The Path Of Daggers - by Robert Jordan
This one is often complained about, but it's one of my favorites. It shows how hard Rand is trying to get rid of the obstacles between him and the Last Battle he's destined to fight, and yet also demonstrates just how badly off they are in terms of military power. I'm fascinated by the Asha'Man as well, so it's cool to see more of them and get to learn individuals among them.

34) Winter's Heart - by Robert Jordan
LOVE this one! Not only do we get to see the cleansing of the male half of the Power, but also we get the beginning of the long-awaited love story with Mat, which is both amusing and romantic, as well as so integral to how we'll end up being able to match the Dark One's Trolloc hordes at the Last Battle. And of course, I'm very partial to the culmination of Rand's love story -- it's certainly not the direction I would have taken it, but it manages to be sweet nonetheless.

35) Crossroads Of Twilight - by Robert Jordan
Another one that is often criticized but manages to be so exciting in how it rearranges the powers of the world. The male half of the Power is cleansed, meaning the Asha'Man shouldn't be going crazy anymore, and yet Rand continues to spiral further into madness as he listens to the voice of the past Dragon. Mat holds the most bizarre, interesting, and...cute...courtship with the heir to the frightening enemy nation Rand's been fighting, and Elayne fights to take back her throne.

36) Knife Of Dreams - by Robert Jordan
This book picks up momentum and doesn't really let up at all -- so much happens in this one, and all of it building up to the Last Battle, but in a way that makes me excited to read how we're winning the world back from anarchy now, not just keeping me in suspense as to how we'll beat the Dark One. Perrin also manages to finally free his wife in this book, which was a nice conclusion to that particular arc.

37) The Gathering Storm - by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
This is the first book written by Brandon Sanderson after Robert Jordan's death, and as nervous as I was about it, it doesn't disappoint. Sanderson is able to meld his writing style with Jordan's and pick up where the story and characters left off without missing a beat. Egwene's story as a captive of the White Tower is exciting, but the real story is Rand finally facing, confronting, and beating back the madness that has so plagued him, all while being betrayed by his closest followers.

38) Towers Of Midnight - by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
This was my first read-through of this book, and though I always catch more the second time I read through it, I was overjoyed by what happened in this book. Not only does it end with us only a few days away from the Last Battle, but it showed just how clearly our characters have grown. Everyone of them is offering something new and unique and each of them stands to fulfill a crucial position at the Last Battle -- that is, all except Egwene, who is now standing as one of the final obstacles between Rand and the Last Battle. It's actually very satisfying to finally have her unveiled as seriously wrong in her thinking, rather than just leaving it to reader interpretation. I seriously cannot wait until January when the final novel in this series comes out, though I will also be sad to realize that I'll never again be waiting for a Wheel of Time novel!

39) Legacy - by Brandon Sanderson
A short novella that stars a schizophrenic man whose visions actually can teach him things, such as a language, in only hours. He has to hunt down a camera that can supposedly take pictures of the past. It's very short and feels more like a prologue than a story, but it's incredibly interesting, and as a Christian myself, I found it very respectful to the subject matter of a Christian scientist stealing the camera to take to Israel in order to prove the existence of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago.

40) The Emperor's Soul - by Brandon Sanderson
Though this is a short novella as well, this one is actually a complete story and does an amazing job of showing conflicting worldviews between the forger and the adviser who's using her while simultaneously trying to show her the flaws in her thinking. They both end up teaching the other something important, and the ending was a very hopeful one.

41) On Basilisk Station - by David Weber
My dad and I travel out of town once a week, and while he drives, I read a book aloud to him. He adores the Honor series and wanted me to read them, so we chose this book. I do like the story, I think, but I find the writing incredibly unwieldy. It goes into pages' long descriptions about things that could have been told in a paragraph, switches character POV mid-paragraph, and skips important segments of the story while going into minute detail at other, seemingly random portions of story. If you can get through all of that, Honor is an engaging character and the galaxy-spanning story is quite interesting.

42) The Honor Of The Queen - by David Weber
I found this one easier to get through than the first, but the writing style had smoothed somewhat too. The story of finding good people behind flawed prejudices was very well done, though one has to wonder if esteemed ambassadors are really so idiotic as to always appoint female commanders to systems who don't recognize females in charge.

43) The Goose Girl - by Shannon Hale
My younger sister recommended these books to me, saying that it reminded her of the way I write. I don't know about that, but I do love the poetic, descriptive style of this book, as well as the way the wind was used as both a moodpiece and a power. The fairytale was given new life in this book, I thought, and I found it very enjoyable.

44) Enna Burning - by Shannon Hale
The main character in this book wasn't nearly as likable, being quite dense and impetuous, but once again, the language was very lyrical and the descriptions were beautiful.

45) River Secrets - by Shannon Hale
This was actually the best of the series, I think, with the most clearly drawn of the love stories and a main character who was extremely likable and very smart. The magic wasn't explored as fully in this book, but the character was so complex that it didn't have to be.

46) Lord Of The Changing Winds - by Rachel Neumeier
This book also has a very poetic language, which I find very easy to read, and though the names of the griffins were almost impossible to pronounce or remember from page to page, the two main characters were very likable, especially the male character, whose dilemma between saving his kingdom while betraying his king or remaining loyal to his king but letting his kingdom fall was very well drawn out. I plan to read the others in this trilogy next.

That's an interesting round-up, AK. Thanks for sharing.

I love fairy tales reset in a fantasy setting, so I must check out The Goose Girl. Looks intriguing.

Have you read Joan D. Vinge's The Snow Queen? One of my favourites.

LabRat :-)

Elvis Cole/Joe Pike Series - Robert Crais

I've had the latest couple of books in the series waiting as a treat for some time now, so I finally decided to get to them. It wasn't necessary for me to go back to the beginning and re-read the others first, but I decided to anyway, just because...

The Monkey's Raincoat
Stalking The Angel
Lullaby Town
Free Fall
Voodoo River
Sunset Express
Indigo Slam
L.A. Requiem
The Last Detective

I think I'm now into new territory as I've just started The Forgotten Man and can't find anything familiar so far.

I had so much fun this last week or so catching up and although I'm approaching the rest of the series with some trepidation as there are hints of things that don't bode well, I'm looking forward to getting up to date with Elvis and Joe.


LabRat

I haven't read 'The Snow Queen,' Labrat, but I'll have to look it up. Particularly since I heard a rumor that the Snow Queen is the basis for the next 'princess' Disney movie! Thanks for recommending it!

#49 Slouching Toward Adulthood by Sally Koslow An interesting read about trends with young adults.

Joan

#39 - Guards! Guards! - Terry Pratchett

Not my favorite in the Discworld series, even though I'm quite partial to dragons and (more or less) to evil secret societies.

#40 - The Fifty Shames of Earl Grey - Fanny Merkin

I am stuck somewhere on the original. The characters are too boring and the story is poorly written. I'm not the stalker-loving kind of person but eventually (circa 2020) I'll finish the other one (you can't accurately criticize what you haven't fully read). Meanwhile this parody fell into my hands. Silly, but much better and more readable than the other.

#41. The 40-year-old Vespa Virgin - Peter Moore

It's worth it.

#42. Dr. Horrible and other horrible stories - Zack Whedon

It ended too soon. I needed more stories in this comic parallel to the webisodes.

#50 Divergent by Veronica Roth

An intriguing futuristic society book. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.

I love to read but it's almost embarrassing that I just barely make 50 books a year.

Joan

#43 - Eric - Terry Pratchett

The scenes in corporate hell were my favorite. Terry Pratchett is a genius.

The Forgotten Man
The Watchman
Chasing Darkness
The First Rule
The Sentry
Taken

All by Robert Crais.


Well, that's me caught up with Pike and Cole. I'll miss them until we get a new book. Was on the edge of my seat all the way through and I just love the understated way these two show their loyalty to one another.

LabRat

#51 Summer Secrets by Barbara Freethy Light but interesting story about three sisters hiding big secrets.

Joan

The Common Lawyer - Mark Gimenez

I didn't enjoy this second offering from Gimenez as much as I enjoyed the first. It took me a while to get into the story and I was irritated by the enormous amount of unnecessary detail. Like five whole pages devoted to our hero crossing town on his bike to get coffee, while we got a potted history of every building along the way. And the ending was somewhat implausible. But I got into it in the end and it was okay. Hoping the other Gimenez I have to read next is better though.

LabRat

#44 - Cinderella Ate My Daughter - Peggy Orenstein

Somewhat enlightening. I was very intrigued about its contents when I first heard of this book on girlie pop-culture and its implications on girls' self-concepts. It's both good and entertaining. And it also taught me that in the early 20th century pink was for boys and blue for girls. For that small fact alone it was worth it.

#45 - Prelude to Foundation

I was expecting something different. Even though it was far from disappointing I saw the ending coming in the first few chapters of the book. When I finally got there it was anti-climatic to say the least.

I'm on a marathon to try and reach the 50-book mile. Not sure if it'll come through this year, though.

The Perk - Mark Gimenez

This was more like it. Enjoyed this one and will definitely be adding more from Gimenez to my wish list.

LabRat :-)

#46 - Liz Tells Frank What Happens In... - Liz Shannon Miller

Read it in one sitting. It's as great as reading the original blog.