alsvidur's 2015 list

Hmmm...introductions always take work, and I am anxious to note my first books of 2015. So let's be brief, shall we?

I'm Emilie, and I live in Michigan. I have several jobs now, and work all. the. time. to pay off student loans. I'm a veterinary assistant who does emergency, small animal day practice, and racehorses. Unfortunately, all this working means less time for reading than in the past several years I've been part of the challenge.

I read a lot of children's books - from picture books to young adult. Last year I read mostly young adult paranormal books, children's picture books, and juvenile non-fiction. As much as this pains me to note, you are unlikely to find a review of the recent Orange Prize winner or that classic that you've always been meaning to read. But! If you are looking for books about ponies for your daughter or some mind fluff about vampire ghosts in high school, then I'm your girl.

Now, on to the good stuff:

Title: Stone Cold Touch
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Genre: YA paranormal
Acquisition: 2 months ago
Classification: PZ/813

Yep, the cover on the first book of the year is sure to bring just a touch of class to the thread. :)

This is the second book in an unfinished series; the next book is going to come out in July. Layla has been raised by a race of gargoyles who hunt demons. Unfortunately for her, she's half-gargoyle and half-demon. That neatly means a hot demon guy and a hot gargoyle guy are vying for her attentions while she tries to solve the problem of a nasty new demon roaming the earth. (And this review is making me sound ever so mature. I'm already aware that I sound like a high schooler or one of those Twilight moms. Don't worry.) It's a Harlequin Teen book, and I think that says it all: lots of longing glances, teenage drama, and gratuitous descriptions of male abs. It's lovely. The author can always be counted on for addictive brain candy. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

Title: Wicked
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Genre: YA paranormal
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Classification: PZ/813

Armentrout really bangs them out - I think she writes around 3-4 books a year. This is another series she just started. This time the girl is at Tulane in New Orleans fighting evil faeries who want to break down the door between worlds so they can feed on and imprison humans. The requisite romance is with a guy from another fighting sect sent to kill any halflings. The halfings, half-fairy, half-human, have the ability to keep the doors open forever. Who in Ivy's sect is the halfling? Her best friend? Her boss? Or Ivy herself?

Wicked isn't my favorite of Armentrout's, but the series is just starting. Ivy's brownie "pet" Tink was my favorite bit. Head's up for those considering the e-book version: The formatting on the Nook is really odd. It won't let you read it single spaced, so you're constantly turning the page because there's only a few lines per screen.

Accounting 1-5-15:
$3.99, bn.com, 1 book

Title: The Name of the Star
Author: Maureen Johnson
Genre: YA paranormal
Acquisition: 1 month ago
Classification: PZ/813

Surprise! It's another young adult paranormal series!

In the Shades of London series, Rory is just starting her senior year away from her home in Louisiana at a boarding school in London. After a close touch with death, Rory finds out that she can see ghosts. London being what it is - filled with history - she has a lot to do. Her troubles really start when someone begins copying the Jack the Ripper murders.

There is very little romance in this one, but lots of history, England, and thrill.

Title: The Madness Underneath
Author: Maureen Johnson
Genre: YA paranormal
Acquisition: library
Classification: PZ/813

Next up in the Shades of London series, ghost-seeing Rory heads back to Wexford school. The incident at the end of the previous book has repercussions in the spirit world, and Rory learns that her school is built over part of the old Bedlam insane asylum. I would NOT want to be a ghost-seeing person living there, that's for sure, but Rory manages just fine - until she's kicked out of school and taken in by a therapist who wants to use her to raise the dead.

Hi Emilie, I'm a big YA fan so I am enjoying your reviews. Wow - I didn't realize Jennifer Armentrout published so many series.

Hi Emilie!

Welcome back!

Armentrout has even more under the pen name of J. Lynn. It's crazy how much she writes! I still have a bunch to read: The Covenant series, Wait for You, Gamble Brothers, and the stand alones of Don't Look Back, Cursed, Frigid, and Unchained. Then there's the few I've read - Lux and Dark Elements series, and stand alone of Obsession. The Lux and Covenant series have even been optioned for TV and movies.

Title: Wagging Tails: An Album of Dogs
Author: Marguerite Henry
Genre: Juvenile non-fiction, animals
Acquisition: 2 weeks ago
Classification: SF/636

Set up just like An Album of Horses, Henry takes a page to tell a short story describing breed attributes and pairs it with a painting and sketches of Wesley Dennis. The illustrations with horses seem to be the best ones, but I could just be incredibly biased by my nostalgia for this book.

Title: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line
Author: Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition: 6 months ago
Classification: PS/813

Veronica Mars mystery series #1. It took a few false starts, but I did it. Once you can get past the in-your-face noir-ness of the preface, it's all the usual Veronica Mars. It helped to have had the craving to rewatch a few episodes for the past few days. All the usual suspects are in it, this time solving the disappearances of 2 girls over spring break. I don't think it's the most gripping of mysteries, but I don't think that's why anyone watched the show in the first place. The 2nd book comes out in a week or so!

>11 alsvidur: I got the second book last year as an ARC and I really liked it. Love VM!

Title: Daimon
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Genre: YA paranormal
Acquisition: 2 weeks ago
Classification: PZ/813

Prequel to the Covenant series. Alex lives on the run with her mother, hiding from the place she grew up - where half-bloods are trained to battle daimons and protect the pure-bloods.

Title: Half-Blood
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Genre: YA paranormal
Acquisition: 4 months ago
Classification: PZ/813

Book 1 in the series. Alex has return to the Covenant, the school that teaches half-blood and pure-blood students. The rules between the races are strict - half-bloods can never have relationships with or injure a pure-blood, or they will be drugged and put into servitude. Alex's impetuous personality have landed her in hot water with the dean. She has a few months over the summer to get back up to speed with the 3 years of classes and training she has missed. Another problem is her trainer is Aiden, the pure-blood she's been crushing on for years.

Title: Pure: Covenant
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Genre: YA paranormal
Acquisition: 4 months ago
Classification: PZ/813

Book 2 in the series. Trying to avoid spoilers here. Alex and Seth are fated to be together, but she's still attracted to Aiden. When daimons attack the school, furies are sent to deal with any threat to the pure-bloods - including the Apollyon. And which of the council members want the threat of Alex and Seth neutralized enough to kill her?

The series has started to pick up in a big way. I'm in the middle of book 3, and it's a bit obvious how it's all going to shake out, but with 3 books left, I'm not sure if my thoughts are right. There's not too much steamy romance in the series so far, but there is plenty of mythology and action.

I'd be super impressed with myself about how much I've been reading, but being home sick from work a few days in a row certainly gives you more reading time.

>16 alsvidur: found your thread, and am dropping a star.

I like animal books, too. Have you read Joyce Stranger's vet series? It starts with Vet on Call, and is an engaging and fun series. Of course, James Herriot is wonderful, too.

I'd missed Wagging Tails (Album of Dogs) somehow. I'm going to see if I can get it through ILL.

I'm sorry to hear that you've been sick, but you're certainly right that it allows for lots more reading time. Feel better soon!

>16 alsvidur: Feel better soon!

I will have to give Jennifer Armentrout's books a try some time.

Thanks guys! I'm feeling better already and working like mad to make up for the lost hours before I go to a big veterinary conference on Wednesday. I allow myself to buy books on/for vacation, and I'm looking in my Amazon wish list to get a few books before I leave. !Que horror! I only have 2 books on my list that are suitable for travel! The rest are collectables, too young to last for long, or are non-fiction. Maybe I'll grab a Sarah Dessen book off my TBR shelf? I am questioning my life choices that brought me to this point.....

The other issue is that I have lots of books that I really want to get to soon, but they are all hardcover series - not the lightest books to haul around. I think I'll just end up wandering around Barnes and Noble tomorrow after work and hope something jumps out at me.

Accounting 1-14-15:
$17.59, amazon, 1 book
My True Love Gave to Me

Accounting
Kyle's acct, bn.com, 3 books
Honeymoon Hotel
Fallen
Cursed

Accounting 1-22-15:
free, NAVC conference, 8 books
Proceedings (tech/mgt)
Veterinary Pain Mgt
Differential Dx of Dog Cat
VT Coach
Front Office Mgt for Vet Team
VCNA Small Anim: Clinical Nutrition July 2014
Different Kind of Veterinarian
Your Dog the Owner's Manual

Accounting 1-22-15:
$17.50,library sale, 30 books
Duplicate, older copies of Black Gold, Black Stallion Picture Book, etc



Title: Deity
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Genre: YA paranormal
Acquisition: 4 months ago
Classification: PZ/813



Title: Elixir
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Genre: YA paranormal
Acquisition: 3 weeks ago
Classification: PZ/813

I finished these books a few weeks ago, and have forgotten exactly what plot points are in each book, but in short Alex is Awakened and connected to the Apollyon. Aiden has to figure out how to break the connection before Seth consumes all of her power and takes down the gos.

Title: Labyrinth: The Storybook Based on the Movie
Author: Louise Gikow
Genre: Children's picture
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Classification: PZ/791

A picture book retelling of the movie Labyrinth, where teenage Sarah has to go through the labyrinth and retrieve her little brother from the Goblin King David Bowie.



Title: The Big Island
Author: Julian May
Genre: Children's picture
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Classification: F/591

The ecological story of Isle Royale: everything was balanced, then the moose came and ate too much, then the wolves came and evened everything out.



Title: Bullfrog at Magnolia Circle
Author: Deborah Dennard
Genre: Children's picture
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Classification: PZ/813

A day in the life of a bullfrog in the Louisiana bayou - catching food, avoiding herons, and looking for a mate. The pictures are colorful and smooth.



Title: Amazing Grace
Author: Deborah Dennard
Genre: Children's picture
Acquisition: 1 day ago/reread
Classification: PZ/813

Grace loves acting out stories. Her classmates tell her that she can't play Peter Pan in the school play because she is a girl and black, so Grace's grandmother shows her what she can do if she wants to. Love this book.

Title: Snow Ponies
Author: Cynthia Cotton
Genre: Children's picture
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Classification: PZ/813

Old Man Winter releases his snow ponies to bring white snow to the world every year. Wherever the ponies play, snow follows. It *almost* makes me tolerate winter, and that's saying something. Pretty pictures, nice story.



Title: Wazzyjump
Author: Michael Moniz
Genre: Children's picture
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Classification: PZ/813

A fox wants to catch a rabbit, but is taken in my his charm (?) and zest. I was not taken in. The drawings are a bit too saccharine for me. Here's an example:







Title: Bunnies Love
Author: Lisa McCue
Genre: Children's picture
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Classification: PZ/813

Each cardboard page illustrates things that rabbits supposedly love. While I didn't love the book, there are worse rabbit picture books out there. (See above.)



Title: Tip
Author: Paul McKee et al
Genre: Children's picture/I-Can-Read
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Classification: PZ/813

An old Dick and Jane knock-off about Tip the terrier puppy. Poor Tip just wants one of his several owners to pay attention to him and toss a ball a few times, but he is thwarted throughout the entire reader. I'd run away too, Tip. Snark aside, the whole book uses just 20 different words. It's repetitive, but I guess that's the point.

Library books are overdue and I need to write down my notes about the books for further purchase!

ECG books for veterinary technicians:

Hands down, the best book out of the lot is Rapid Review ECG Interpretation in Small Animal Practice. The ECGs are super easy to read because of the clarity of the print. The graph paper underneath is in red and the tracing are in nice, clear black. There are interesting sidebars (info on Eisenthoven, anyone?), loads of case studies, and detailed text. The only kind-of con to the book is that for some of the case studies they tell you how the case turned out, and it's kind of disappointing to get the answer right only to be told, 'Congratulations! You've diagnosed hemangiosarcoma!" (The book is nowhere near this cheeky, but it's what it felt like.)

Next up is Small Animal ECGs: An Introductory Guide. This one focuses on clinical significance and treatments and also has crisp readouts, but is lacking color. A bummer about this one is the price: twice as much as the best book on the list.

Electrocardiography for the Small Animal Practitioner comes with an ECG ruler, but if you have a Bic pen, what's the real use? This has short readings paired with features, associated conditions, and treatments in list form. Easy to grab needed info from during clinic use, but not so great for learning from.

ECG Manual for the Veterinary Technician goes into detailed explanations of the principles of ECG, artifact prevention, system readings, etc. That's the real strength of this older book. The case examples are nice, but the tracing are done in calligraphy pen and the copies didn't turn out very well in all the illustrations. The QRS waves are almost invisible.

ECG Interpretation in the Critically Ill Dog and Cat is the same. The tracings are almost impossible to read. This one is all case examples and none of the theory. The case examples are divided into chapters depending on the cause of the findings, renal, trauma, meds, etc.

Hi! love your books (we have very related libraries.)

I wonder if you've read Amy Garvey's Cold Kiss or Glass Heart? They seem like they would be right up your alley.

>23 alsvidur: ooh! Labyrinth!

Ooh! Isle Royale!

And "Amazing Grace" looks interesting...

>26 sumik:: I haven't read either of those, but I will keep an eye out for them. Thanks for the ideas!

>27 fuzzi:: Yep, some good catches at the book sale, huh? :)

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Author: Laini Taylor
Genre: YA fantasy
Acquisition: reread
Classification: PZ/813

Book 1 of a trilogy. Reread. Karou doesn't know who she is, only that she has been raised half in the world and half by chimera. When Akira the angel starts burning the doors between worlds, she discovers who she really is and how she got there.



Title: Humphrey, the Lost Whale
Author: Wendy Tokuda
Genre: Picture book
Acquisition: 1 week ago
Classification: PZ/813

True story of a humpback whale that got lost in the freshwater rivers in San Francisco and the scientists who saved him. Loved this book as a child and still do.



Title: Someday Rider
Author: Ann Scott
Genre: Picture book
Acquisition: 1 week ago
Classification: PZ/813

A little boy wants to ride out with his dad to gather cattle more than anything, but doesn't know how. Everyone keeps telling him "Some day." His mother eventually teaches him to ride.



Title: The Midnight Farm
Author: Reeve Lindbergh
Genre: Picture book
Acquisition: 1 week ago
Classification: PZ/813

A little boy afraid of the dark is told a counting poem by his mother, featuring the animals on their farm. Illustrated by Susan Jeffers, which is the only reason I bought this one.



Title: That New Baby
Author:Patricia Relf
Genre: Picture book
Acquisition: 1 week ago
Classification: PZ/813

Another from my childhood. Dated illustrations. :) A girl isn't thrilled with her new baby brother until she helps him out one day.



Title: My Dog Rosie
Author: Isabelle Harper
Genre: Picture book
Acquisition: 1 week ago
Classification: PZ/813

Ouch. I can't even remember this one.



Title: Widget
Author: Lyn McFarland
Genre: Picture book
Acquisition: 1 week ago
Classification: PZ/813

A homeless dog finds a home with a family of cats, but the cats are having a hard time accepting the dog. Then their owner falls down and can't get up (and has no LifeAlert buzzer around her neck), and the cats can't save her, but the dog can. Then comes the acceptance. Cuter than I can quickly summarize.



Title: Hello! Hello!
Author: Matthew Cardell
Genre: Picture book
Acquisition: 1 week ago/reread
Classification: PZ/813

A girl's imagination takes her new places outdoors when she gets bored with her tech-obsessed family.



Title: And I Love You
Author: Ruth Krauss
Genre: Picture book
Acquisition: 1 week ago
Classification: PZ/813

Illustrated by Steven Kellogg. Again, can't remember much, expect it's about how a mother is telling her son how much she loves him. Maybe? I don't know. Tonight's summaries are super useful.



Title: The Gates of the Wind
Author: Isabelle Harper
Genre: picture book
Acquisition: 1 week ago
Classification: PZ/813

Oh, I remember this one! An old lady leaves her perfect village to battle the wind on a nearby mountain. Gumption galore and beautiful illustrations!

January totals

Books: 29
Total books: 29

Non-fiction, animals: 4
Non-fiction, other: 0
Fiction: 25

TBR Pit books read: 4
Time spent in TBR: 1 day - 6 months
Library books read: 1
ILL books read: 0
Books borrowed and read: 0
% TBR/library/borrowed: 17%

Books acquired: 43
Cash spent: $39.08

Genres:

14 - Children's picture book
3 - Children's non-fiction, animals

1 - Juvenile non-fiction, animals

1 - YA fantasy
9 - YA paranormal

1 - Adult mystery

Classification:

1 - 591
1 - 636
1 - 791
1 - 811
25 - 813

1 - F
2 - PS
25 - PZ
1 - SF

Accounting 2-5-15:
2 books, library cart, $2.00
2 books, early reviewers, free



Title: Patch (Breyer Stablemates)
Author: Kristin Earhart
Genre: picture book
Acquisition: 1 hour ago
Classification: PZ/813

Lauren loves her old paint Patch. A new girl comes to the stable with her palomino Gold Charm and makes Lauren feel like poo. Sad. (Surprise: They end up friends.)



Title: Thelwell's Riding Academy
Author: Norman Thelwell
Genre: humor
Acquisition: 1 hour ago
Classification: NC/751

Thelwell's humorous cartoons really capture English 'ponies'. I love them and was so happy to find this one - used and cheap - in the US!



Title: Honeymoon Hotel
Author: Hester Browne
Genre: adult fiction - chick lit
Acquisition: 2 week ago
Classification: PR/823

A wedding planner is gunning for a better job at her hotel, but life gets in the way - and so does the hotel owners son. Hester Browne writes some really nice sunny, fluffy beach reads. This one was great for reading in the Florida sun last month!

I have a slew of Early Reviewer books to go through this month. For the first one, A Matter of Breeding, I'm going to write my thoughts down as I go in order to keep my blood pressure down and therefore be able to finish the book. (The book is about the culture and history of purebred dogs.) I agree with many of the author's thoughts, but not the way he got to them. Brandow, a journalist, was once a dog walker and volunteered at his local dog park in New York City. This gives him an interesting viewpoint. I wish he would stick to that. Oh well.

Here's my HUGE beef with the introduction (and it seems like the whole book): Quoting popular press articles should not be the majority of your references! The Wall Street Journal is NOT a source for science research! Neither is a single controversial documentary! It seems like the author and I explicitly disagree about these things, though. A direct quote from the author states "...animal lovers on both sides of the Atlantic shouldn't need to get their news from scientists...". This faulty logic is the same kind that gives rise to the anti-vaxxer movement. Ugh! I am also concerned that the author doesn't have a good grasp on the real beginnings of breed type. The breed club and standard came AFTER the general breed was around doing their original function. Unfortunately, the original function of most breeds is completely out of place today. The only function of 97% of American dogs is of companion. This isn't the fault of the standards, but of people's lifestyles.

Getting my biases out of the way, I have had both purebred dogs, purpose bred dogs, and mutts. I support those breeders who commit to the life of their dogs, both physically and mentally, and know what they're doing. I also think that a few breeds are exaggerated to the point of being unhealthy. I feel that I am fairly neutral on the matter of "purebred vs random source". I don't think mutts are any healthier than purebreds, but purebred dog clubs have a system of catching the mistakes; there is no Mutt Registry of America to track health issues. My hope is that perhaps the author has new ideas on what can be done to help the problem. My fear is that he is just rabble-rousing and bashing. Let's find out after I attempt the first chapter.

A Matter of Breeding Chapter 1: Only 2 tiny notes. Yay!

First: Was Bob the bulldog's eye full of 'pus' or 'puss'? Either way, something is wrong. A dog with an eye "filled" with pus should be in a veterinary ophthalmologist's office and not be out getting walked by the dog walker. A dog's eye filled with puss is a strange eye indeed, and might not belong to a dog but a cat instead. Tiny copy editing rant over. :)

Second: Yes, the bulldog is exaggerated to the point of not being able to exist without human intervention. The point that the author tries to make about their problems not being found in wild animals is not true though. Wild rats eat their pups. Wolves and coyotes with badly undershot jaws starve to death as young dogs. Females of many species don't willingly copulate at first without harming the male. It's not always the result of "human meddling", and it's not specific to bulldogs.

OK, and a third: How about quoting someone who lived in the 20th or 21st century?

A dog's eye filled with puss is a strange eye indeed, and might not belong to a dog but a cat instead.
HA!

>33 alsvidur:, >34 alsvidur: Enjoying the rants...

shouldn't need to get their news from scientists
What does this mean?

A Matter of Breeding Chapter 2:

No facts, just rhetoric about "cults" and "lies". The only "lie" I saw in the chapter is when the author said that designer dogs were healthier than mixes and purebreds. Slamming purebred dogs of today because you dislike some people who lived in the 1600-1800s doesn't make too much sense. People didn't have the level of human-animal bond back then that we do today. Why freak out about it? It's over 150 years ago; let it go and focus on what we can do *today*.

Brandow had a few great thoughts, but didn't run with them like I had hoped. The human need to think of their dogs as "loyal" or that "purebreds are better dogs" could have been discussed at length, but he chose to go down a different path.

It seems like the author ignored the huge fox study - still going on - that proves that even if animals are selected ONLY for their affinity towards humans, other traits come too - patches of white color, floppy ears, neotany, etc. There was another source of talking points missed.

Another thing is that "breeds" like the American Indian Dog are new. They are being created right now. Who in their right mind would be taken in by a single slick website and think that these dogs are hundreds of years old? Perhaps if the author submersed himself in study and the culture for years - like people in the fancy do, he would not have been quite so assumptive. I will never write a book about money markets. I will certainly never write one about the "shocking truths" learned after I read a few magazine articles about it. There are bad apples in every field, in every area of the world. Either focus on the majority of people doing the right thing or give helpful ideas for improvement.

No "helping ideas" yet, but there are 7 more chapters to go. Fingers crossed.

>36 qebo:: It means that the author thinks that scientific illiteracy is allowable because the public should be able to get all of their information from popular media. Poo on peer review, statistics, and reproducible data.

OK, so that least sentence was me going to extremes, but truly, the author's sources are almost ALL popular media sources. Is it because the real studies are difficult to access? Is it because the author doesn't know how to get papers, is too lazy to devote years to scientific study, or really thinks that The New Yorker has all of the world's needed information? Who knows. Snark over.

A Matter of Breeding Chapter 3:

*SO* much hatred of everything English! Was he left at the alter by an English girl? Did his business get eaten up by an English corporation? Why? Why? Why?!? (Seriously, the vitriol is not to be believed.)

New game: Find the least old direct quote. I think I'm up to 1892. Nothing newer in this chapter at least. What are Oscar Wilde and Thackery doing in this book supposedly about dog genetics and conformation? (Hint: Saying something derogatory towards the English.)

A tiny quibble: The author seems upset that breeders charge what they do. ("Before kennel clubs and "reputable" breeders priced good dogs out of reach for the average nobody...") Perhaps the author doesn't know how much money and time it takes to breed and raise healthy, well-adjusted pets. I used to charge $20/rat for fancy rats, but with the dozens of hours spent every week and the money spend on health testing, housing and feeding the dam and litter, it usually cost me HUNDREDS of dollars more to raise each litter as I made back. The only people making money on breeding animals aren't doing it with an eye on their offspring's health and well-being. A really basic idea of what breeding pet rats cost is at http://www.thebvrattery.com/breed_rats.html. These are rats, and not dogs, so imagine how much more it takes for animals who require vaccinations, more health testing, space, and food.

Dissing people with different hobbies is not winning the author many friends. "Geeks", chicken fanciers, farmers, the English, anyone not living in the 2010s.... The list of groups the author dislikes is growing ever larger, and my patience and good humor are diminishing just as quickly.

I'm seriously enjoying your hate-read :-)

Title: Days of Blood and Starlight
Author: Laini Taylor
Genre: YA fantasy
Acquisition: reread
Classification: PZ/813

Book 2 of a trilogy. Reread. Karou knows who she is now, and she also knows what Akiva did - destroy her family and entire race. Uh oh.



Title: Dreams of Gods and Monsters
Author: Laini Taylor
Genre: YA fantasy
Acquisition: 9 months ago
Classification: PZ/813

Book 3 of a trilogy. Karou and Akiva try to stop the war and bring peace to Eretz. The ending was a little unsatisfying - sure, sure, they have to restore world peace and all, but really? That was it?

That tiny little 'eh' aside, Laini Taylor's world is *phenomenal!* The language is beautiful. The characters are real and inspiring. Reading a book by another author right after this series is bad news bears for the other author. It made every book I attempted seem like a Big Mac next to filet mignon. (Or something. I'm not a steak connoisseur.) This trilogy is recommended for YA or fantasy fans. Or fans of good books.

Accounting 2-14-15:
$19.12, 2 books, amazon
Veronica Mars 2
Rapid Review ECG in Small Animal Practice

Accounting 2-19-15:
$26.30, 1 book, amazon
$49.83, 1 book, amazon
Blue Juice
Small Animal Bandaging Casting Splinting

Title: Mr. Kiss and Tell: Veronica Mars #2
Author: Rob Thomas
Genre: Adult mystery
Acquisition: 2 weeks ago
Classification: PZ/813

It's just like a long episode of Veronica Mars. In fact, it made me miss the show so much, I rewatched the series. Now I'm left with TEABS, and nothing seems good enough to read.

A girl gets raped and left for dead near a fancy hotel in Neptune. Veronica is hired by the hotel's insurance investigators to find out whodunit. Even though they eventually fire her, she doesn't let the case drop. Also - Logan is back in the States! The frustration of seeing Veronica make stupid mistakes is just as real as on the show, but thankfully she seems to have grown up a little. (I hope.)

February totals

Books: 6
Total books: 35

Non-fiction, animals: 0
Non-fiction, other: 0
Fiction: 6

TBR Pit books read: 1
Time spent in TBR: 9 months
Library books read: 0
ILL books read: 0
Books borrowed and read: 0
% TBR/library/borrowed: 17%

Books acquired: 14
Cash spent: $130.25

Genres:

1 - Children's picture book

1 - Juvenile fiction, animals

2 - YA fantasy

1 - Adult chick lit
1 - Adult mystery

Classification:

1 - 751
4 - 813
1 - 823

1 - PR
1 - PS
3 - PZ
1 - NC

Accounting 3-6-15:
$31.16, Curious Book Shop, 3 books
$99.32, Archives Book Shop, 6 books
Kyle got for me, Schuler's, 4 books
Kyle got for me, 2nd & Charles, 17 books

Accounting 3-10-15:
$33.92, Amazon, 1 book
Rabbit Behavior, Health, and Care

Title: Head Lice
Author: Elise Gravel
Genre: Picture book, non-fiction
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Classification: QL/595

Early Reviewers. Just like the other books in Elise Gravel's Disgusting Creatures series, Head Lice is a riot. The unique typography and illustrations are combined with humor to make learning about critters like lice fun and interesting to young readers (and older ones, too)!

Accounting 3-11-15:
free, Early Reviewers, 1 book
Head Lice

Notes on War Dogs: coarse language and colloquialisms not really needed as frequently as used (so pissed, so fucked up, etc) when not quoting, needs better type editor (brake vs break etc), abbreviations used frequently without detailed explanation, also intro was a bit sappy. aside from those, interesting and detailed so far. interesting historical references to check out later

This month is going to be so sad if the only book I finish is a picture book. I started 3 non-fiction text books, but am only half-way through them all.

Accounting 3-18-15:
$61.14, 1 book, amazon
Vet Tech Daily Ref Guide

Accounting 3-19-15:
$22.00, 6 books, DogWise sale

Accounting 3-18-15:
free, 2 books, gift

March totals

Books: 1 (!!! Ouch.)
Total books: 36

Non-fiction, animals: 1
Non-fiction, other: 0
Fiction: 0

TBR Pit books read: 0
Time spent in TBR: 1 day
Library books read: 0
ILL books read: 0
Books borrowed and read: 0
% TBR/library/borrowed: 0%

Books acquired: 41
Cash spent: $247.54

Genres:

1 - Children's non-fiction, parasites

Classification:

1 - 595

1 - QL

Title: Flip and the Cows
Author: Wesley Dennis
Genre: Picture book
Acquisition: 7 months ago
Classification: PZ / 813

Not as good as the other Flip books, but still pretty terrific compared to other horsey picture books. Dennis's illustrations aren't as polished as some of his others - these look quick and fast (but are still characteristically Dennis). Flip the foal is scared of cows. One day he lands the a field full of them.



Title: Bluegrass Champion
Author: Dorothy Lyons
Genre: Juvenile fiction / pony book
Acquisition: 1 month ago
Classification: PZ / 813

Judy loves her saddlebred Harlequin, but his pinto coloring makes him the laughingstock of the saddleseat world. Her sister Gail is trying to make the family farm into something respectable with the other horses, but Judy thinks Harlequin has what it takes to win the big 5-gaited classes.

Wonderful story. A pony book with an unexpected plot twist is a real treat. Aside from that, the characters were great, and the illustrations by Wesley Dennis were right on.



Title: A Horse of Her Own
Author: Annie Wedekind
Genre: Juvenile fiction / pony book
Acquisition: 1 month ago
Classification: PZ / 813

Jane loves her school horse Beau. She can't have her own horse, but she pretends that Beau is hers. Her heart breaks when she loses Beau, but her trainer asks to help with a new horse in the stable - one who is talented and also a bit crazy. Jane has to work very hard to improve herself and Lancelot by the end of summer.

Another lovely pony book. This one is real and honest - most girls don't have their own barn full of horses; a lesson horse is the most they ever get. That doesn't mean the love is any less valid. This one has so much heart and not a bit of sappy sweetness. Highly recommended for horse crazy girls (and adults).

Title: Bobcat
Author: CW Anderson
Genre: Juvenile fiction / pony book
Acquisition: 7 months ago
Classification: PZ / 813

Bobcat is a terrific timber horse, but he's getting too fast. Taking a single fence too fast could mean a bad fall that he might not recover from. Patsy and her groom Holley decide to make Bobcat into a flat racer. It'll be very difficult because Bobcat hates to be rated. Their new trainer needs to come up with a way to teach Bobcat how to race.

A lackluster entry by Anderson. Slightly choppy. Best bits are when Holley is talking about horses like Chase Me and Stymie.

Title: Animal Story Book
Author: Watty Piper
Genre: Children's illustrated fiction
Acquisition: 1 month ago
Classification: PZ / 813

There is only just enough of a story to make me waffle between calling this non-fiction and fiction. Two children visit their grandparents' farm in New York one summer where they learn about farm animals. Most of the book is the adults telling the children animal facts. I would hardly call it an 'animal story book', but that aside, it's nicely done. Dennis does wonderful color illustrations of the different animals. The story, as it were, is dated (1950s), but was nice and wholesome. The paintings paired with animal basics make it one for pony book lovers to look for at used book stores.

Accounting 4-10-15:
$30.69, amazon, 6 books
Saddle Club books to complete the series
$9.95, amazon, 1 book
Crown Prince #2

Starting a slow, relaxing re-read of The Saddle Club series - all 110 of them, plus Pony Tails and Pine Hollow!

Accounting 4-15-15:
$68.30, amazon, 17 books
Saddle Club #100
Just For Girls (short story)
15 Pony Tails

Title: The Horse Road
Author: Troon Harrison
Genre: Middle grades fiction/pony book
Acquisition: 1 year ago
Classification: PZ / 813

Historical fiction (Uzbekistan-area around 200 BC). Kallisto loves her family's horses, especially her special mare Swan. When a Chinese army comes to her village to raid their Akhal Tekes, she must find a way to save them. Lovely book - not just another pony book, but one that would be enjoyed by a wider audience.

Saddle Club Re-read

I hope by book 100 I'm not sick of the same plots. In an effort to poke at Willow Creek and Pine Hollow with a big stick, I'm going to note some boring details and continuity goofs. These girls spend several years together but manage to never actually change age. They go on more adventures in this Groundhog Day of a year than most people will ever go on. All the boring details will be in italics, so PLEASE skip over them! I love this series, and this is the first time as an adult that I'm going to immerse myself and read them all in order. Spoilers ahoy!



Title: Horse Crazy: Saddle Club #1
Author: Bonnie Bryant
Genre: Juvenile fiction/pony book
Acquisition: reread
Classification: PZ / 813

The formation of the Saddle Club. Lisa starts riding, Stevie stresses about her math project grade so she commissions odd jobs, and Carole shows Lisa the ropes around the barn. Veronica tries to win Lisa over, but Lisa learns what Veronica really is - a big spoiled brat.

Time span: Published in October 1988. Story happens over 3 weeks. (Stevie and Carole are 12yo and Lisa is 13. Given the publishing date, that makes them born in 1976 or so.) Carole's mother died 6 months ago in the autumn. Red the stable hand is around 20-years-old.

Willow Creek: Half hour from Washington DC. The barn is 1/2 mile from the mall and within walking distance for Lisa and Stevie. Carole needs a ride or takes the bus. Lisa and Carole go to Willow Creek Junior High (7th and 8th graders). Stevie goes to a private school.

Pine Hollow: 25 stall U-shaped barn. Double layer of stalls on the ends of the U with tack room, locker area, feed room, and Mrs Reg's office on the end. The main barn office and lounge is in another building. The horses are as follows: 1) Patch, a pinto gelding who hates loud noises and is suitable for beginners, 2) Colbalt, a black thoroughbred stallion (and the only stallion in the barn at this time) owned by Veronica, 3) Comanche, who Stevie rides a lot, 4) Delilah, a Palomino mare that Carole rides, 5) Pepper, a dapple-grey gelding that Lisa ends up riding in lessons, 6) Diablo, a new bay school horse, and 7) Nero, an old gelding trained by Max's father Max II. In the class that the Saddle Club rides in, there's Lisa, Carole, Stevie, Polly, Betsy, Meg, and Veronica.

Carole: dad is Marine colonel at Quanitco

Veronica: has 2 labs

Stevie: brother Chad 14yo, brother Michael 9yo, twin brother Alex 12yo, cat Madonna. Lives on a corner street and has a pool



Title: Horse Shy: Saddle Club #2
Author: Bonnie Bryant
Genre: Juvenile fiction/pony book
Acquisition: reread/5+ years
Classification: PZ / 813

Cobalt's death, Mountain Trail Overnight trail ride. The barn takes a group of students on a weekend long trail ride in the mountains. Veronica thinks herself infallible and takes Cobalt over a jump. They fall; Veronica breaks some bones and Cobalt is euthanized. Carole is distraught and wants to quit riding.

Time span: Published in November 1988. Takes place 1-3 weeks after book 1 ends and lasts over 3-4 weeks.

Pine Hollow: The Mountain Trail Overnight ride has 11 students. New riders mentioned are Lorraine, Joe, and Adam Levine. Barn founded by Max I in early 1900s, Max I died in 1930s, Max II was stern. Barn policy is riders must be riding 12 months before they jump. #) Comanche is a chestnut. Horses 8) Barq, an Arab who hates trailers, 9) Harry, 10) Tecumseh, 11) Dusty the gelding. 2) Cobalt dies, leaving an empty stall.

Veronica: dad is a banker that holds mortgage on Pine Hollow

Carole: First time not living on base, moved to Willow Creek 2 years ago, started riding at Pine Hollow then. Got Snowball the cat. Family in the Carolinas.

Lisa: first jump was 4' and out of a pasture away from charging bull



Title: Horse Sense: Saddle Club #3
Author: Bonnie Bryant
Genre: Juvenile fiction/pony book
Acquisition: reread/5+ years
Classification: PZ / 813

Samson is born, gymkhana is planned. Stevie is tasked with coming up with games for a gymkhana (games on horseback), while Carole prepares for the birth of Cobalt and Delilah's foal. Lisa is lonely and wants to come up with rules and bylaws for the club following points of order, etc. Lisa invites Estelle, a girl who knows nothing about horses but says she does, into the club when the other girls are busy.

Time span: June or July, story lasts 3 weeks, takes place a few months after #2

Pine Hollow: new rider from France named Estelle. Horses 12) Nickel, a silver pony, 13) Quarter, 14) Penny, 15) Tuppence, 2/4a) Samson, a black foal.

Lisa: lhasa apso dog named Dolly



Title: Horse Power: Saddle Club #4
Author: Bonnie Bryant
Genre: Juvenile fiction/pony book
Acquisition: reread/5+ years
Classification: PZ / 813

Gymkhana happens, Kate Devine visits barn but doesn't want to ride. Stevie's brother Chad starts riding in order to spend time with his crush on Lisa. Stevie just wants her brothers away from the barn - Pine Hollow is *her* place to relax. Lisa has to deal with a boy following her around, and Lisa decides that it's not so bad. Carole's father has a work friend visit. Kate doesn't want to talk about horses or ride anymore; she got too sick of the competition from being on the show circuit to long and hard.

Time span: 3 weeks after book #3. Kate is 14yo. Carole's mother's death is now 1 year before.

Pine Hollow: Horse 16) Half Dollar

Carole: lived at Quantico until moving to house in Willow Creek

Lisa: dropped ballet, painting, and music lessons this summer



Title: Trail Mates: Saddle Club #5
Author: Bonnie Bryant
Genre: Juvenile fiction/pony book
Acquisition: reread/5+ years
Classification: PZ / 813

Boy crushes on Carole, Carole's dad dates, girls model. Stevie and Lisa agree to help a fashion photographer with modeling horse tack, but they end up being assistants and not models. Carole is super stressing about a woman her dad is dating. She isn't ready for an overbearing and meddling step-mother, but she wants her dad to be happy. Carole takes a group of tourists out on a trail ride and ends up saving a boy who was riding Patch from being run away with. (The cover shows a bay horse though.) The boy, Scott, follows her all over and thinks Carole hung the moon. He ends up going back to Ohio, but will continue to ride.

Time span: still summer

Pine Hollow: Horse 17) Chip. Offers trail rides to groups of tourists.

Lisa: will take piano in the fall. has 1 brother.



Title: Dude Ranch: Saddle Club #6
Author: Bonnie Bryant
Genre: Juvenile fiction/pony book
Acquisition: reread/5+ years
Classification: PZ / 813

First trip to Bar None. The Saddle Club has been invited out west to see Kate's ranch. (They fly out by themselves and transfer planes several times.) The girls learn about Western riding and dude ranches. Stevie's birthday happens on the trip and her friends are trying to surprise her. Stevie falls from her horse and lands right in front of a rattlesnake, but is saved by a dog.

Time span: still summer. Camp is ending. Takes place over 1 week. Stevie's birthday.

Bar None: Eli the ranch hand has a mutt named Mel. Christine's dog Tomahawk died saving Stevie, so now she has Dude. Christine's horse is Arrow. Horses Stewball, Berry, and Chocolate. Kate rides Spot.



Title: Horse Play: Saddle Club #7
Author: Bonnie Bryant
Genre: Juvenile fiction/pony book
Acquisition: reread/5+ years
Classification: PZ / 813

Drill team demo for Dorothy DeSoto, Veronica plays pranks. The girls overhear the barn owner Max asking for more time and money and assume that he can't pay the mortgage belonging to Veronica's dad. Stevie tries to enlist everyone she knows as a new rider, and the club decides to put on a riding demo of their drill team - in just a few short weeks.

Time span: still summer? Stevie is still 12yo although she had a birthday in book #6. Dorothy won silver in last Olympics.

Pine Hollow: wooden floors, wood ships and peat for bedding, buckets of sand every few feet for fire prevention. Dressage demo by Olympian contains the pace - not sure what FEI test she's reading from.....

Lisa: mom is now local model. 1 brother is at camp now. Tiny feet.



Title: Horse Show: Saddle Club #8
Author: Bonnie Bryant
Genre: Juvenile fiction/pony book
Acquisition: reread/5+ years
Classification: PZ / 813

American Horse Show in NYC. The club goes with Max and Mrs Reg to the American (AKA the National in real life) at the Garden. (I do wonder at this point if the rest of the riders are jealous of the teacher's pets.) They are allowed to explore the city solo - after all, what 12-year-old girl wasn't allowed to walk around alone in 1980's New York City? The girls go riding in Central Park and bump into teen heartthrob Skye Ransome. Being the lucky girls that they are, the help non-rider Skye practice riding for his new film. They get to ride in a limo as well. At the show, Dorothy falls from her horse Topside and has a compression fracture in her spine that means no more riding.

Time span: Lisa has been riding for less than 1 year. If the "American" is really the National, then this would take place in the fall, but it's still summer in Willow Creek.

Pine Hollow: Horses 18) Topside, a bay thoroughbred.

Other people: Dorothy's farm is on Long Island. Skye's manager is Frank Nelson. Dorothy now rides in an Open Jumping class (because she is multi-talented like that). After the fall, she can ride sometimes but not compete (because falls don't count if you're not at a show?)

Veronica: dad OWNS local bank

Lisa: Used to take ballet, painting, piano, violin, and needlework lessons.

Ah, Saddle Club books! :) I remember Horse Show being very traumatic for me!

Riding Camp was my scary book. Even now, the thing I am most afraid of is a barn fire.



Title: Hoof Beat: Saddle Club #9
Author: Bonnie Bryant
Genre: Juvenile fiction/pony book
Acquisition: reread
Classification: PZ / 813

Lisa goes journalist and gossip. Lisa gets a job at the local paper writing about Pine Hollow, but she ends up being a horrible gossip. Stevie's mother invites a coworkers kid from Washington DC to stay with them, and Trudy is definitely a city girl.

Time span: The girls are still 12 and 13yo. Samson was born a few months before (born at end of book 3). Wonderful depictions of 1980s/1990s clothing and sayings. "Outrageous!" was said without irony. Story lasts 2-3 weeks, and then 1 week until #10 starts.

Pine Hollow: student Anna. Samson never haltered although he is a few months old now.



Title: Riding Camp: Saddle Club #10
Author: Bonnie Bryant
Genre: Juvenile fiction/pony book
Acquisition: reread
Classification: PZ / 813

Moose Hill Riding Camp, meet Phil. The girls go to a 2-week riding camp. Stevie is able to bring Topside. The girls deal with competitive campmates and Stevie turning lovesick over camper Phil. A barn fire starts due to some moldy hay. Carole and Lisa get the pastured horses to safety while Stevie rushes into the burning barn to save the 8 stabled horses - including her new boyfriend's horse Teddy.

Time span: Lisa has been riding for a few months. Takes place 1 week after #9 and story goes through 2 weeks of camp. Stevie riding for 4 years. So far this summer, the girls have been to New York City, out west, this riding camp, their barn's riding camp, 2 weekend-long trail rides, and still managed to have time to be in 3 horse shows, teach a celebrity to ride, take lessons, and hang out by the pool and at the mall. Yeesh.

Locations: Moose Hill is in western VA.

Pine Hollow: only 2 stablehands but still more employees

Phil: lives in a town 10 miles from Willow Creek. 1 year older than Stevie. Not riding as long as Stevie, but has been to more shows. Many sisters. Has horse Teddy for 3 years. Teddy boarded at a barn. Had pony before Teddy.

Lisa: jumping now at camp

Stevie: Riding since 8yo.

Oh - I remember that one too! And rightly so to be worried about a barn fire!!

Accounting 4-22-15:
$17.16, amazon, 1 book
VM10500
$16.24, amazon, 4 books
Trailering, Boots, Equine ER, Mutch

Title: Horse Wise: Saddle Club #11
Author: Bonnie Bryant
Genre: Juvenile fiction/pony book
Acquisition: reread
Classification: PZ / 813



Title: Mutch About Horses
Author: Ronnie Mutch
Genre: Humor
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Classification: NC / 751



Title: Equine ER: Stories from a Year in the Life of an Equine Veterinary Hospital
Author: Leslie Guttman
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Classification: SF / 636

Title: Girl at Sea
Author: Maureen Johnson
Genre: YA fiction
Acquisition: 2 months ago
Classification: PZ / 813

Accounting 4-30-15:
1 book, kyle got, bn.com
Elite

Title: Elite (Eagle Elite)
Author: Rachel Van Dyken
Genre: "new adult" fiction
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Classification: PS / 813

Oh, goodness. I asked a friend for a recommendation for a YA romance since I'm STILL sick with bronchitis 5 weeks later, and this is one of the 2 she mentioned. This series is SO bad. Characterizations, plots, sentence structure.... it's all bad. Horrible. There are badly done guilty pleasures, but this is not one of those. (And yet I stayed up until 5 am to finish. I dunno. I'll continue to read, but it's Just. So. Bad.) Not recommended at all, but yet, I'll still read the next one. My friend who recommended it said she agrees that the writer is worse than a high school fan-fic writer, but she has them on auto-download. We marvel that the author is a best seller on the NYT list, but then a co-worker pointed out that we all bought her books anyways. Hmm... :) Also, the cover would suggest a romance book, but there is nothing about a PG-13 level here.

April totals

Books: 21
Total books: 36

Non-fiction, animals: 1
Non-fiction, other: 0
Fiction: 20

TBR Pit books read: 10
Time spent in TBR: 7 months - over 5 years
Library books read: 0
ILL books read: 0
Books borrowed and read: 0
% TBR/library/borrowed: 0%

Books acquired: 30
Cash spent: $142.34

Genres:

1 - Picture book
1 - Children's illustrated fiction
14 - Juvenile fiction / pony book
1 - Middle grades fiction / pony book
1 - Young adult fiction
1 - New adult fiction
1 - Humor

1 - Non-fiction, horses

Classification:

1 - 636
1 - 751
19 - 813

1 - NC
1 - PS
18 - PZ
1 - SF

Title: Elect (Eagle Elite #2)
Author: Rachel Van Dyken
Genre: "new adult" fiction
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Classification: PS / 813

I don't know. It's so bad, yet I continue reading. I don't know why I scoff at certain things and then keep going, but I do. More college-age mafia bosses with their PG-13 romance. The cover is the steamiest thing about the book. I think I'll stop here though. Maybe.

Accounting May:
5 books, bn.com, Kyle got me
Wait for You series

Title: Wait for You
Author: Jennifer Armentrout/J. Lynn
Genre: "new adult" fiction
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Classification: PS / 813



Title: Trust in Me
Author: Jennifer Armentrout/J. Lynn
Genre: "new adult" fiction
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Classification: PS / 813



Title: Be with Me
Author: Jennifer Armentrout/J. Lynn
Genre: "new adult" fiction
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Classification: PS / 813



Title: Stay with Me
Author: Jennifer Armentrout/J. Lynn
Genre: "new adult" fiction
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Classification: PS / 813



Title: Fall with Me
Author: Jennifer Armentrout/J. Lynn
Genre: "new adult" fiction
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Classification: PS / 813

A series of new adult romances. I'm not sure how I feel about reading this genre, but it's fun fluff and yet I don't hate having to put it down to go to work, etc. It's all enjoyable, but I hate recommending a series I feel comfortable reading only in e-reader form....

Wait for You seems to be the strongest in the series. Avery is hiding from her past and runs into one of 'the popular guys' at college. Love ensues and it's wonderful. Trust in Me is the story from Cam's point of view and gave an interesting perspective. Be with Me follows Cam's sister Teresa and his best friend Jase as they fall in love. Teresa is recovering from an injury that kills her dream of dancing and Jase has his own problem. Stay with Me is about Teresa's friend Calla as she tries to help her addicted mother (and also fall in love with the local bartender). Fall with Me is about one of the other bartenders and a patron.

Title: Cursed
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Genre: YA paranormal
Acquisition: 5 months ago
Classification: PS / 813

A girl was brought back to life and since then kills everything she touches. The story evolves into a group of kids with super powers being 'collected' and trained by someone, just like X-Men. Not considering originality, it's still an interesting story, and I wish it was being continued. Fun fluff.

Accounting 5-22-15:
$9.93, amazon, 1 book
Penderwicks #4

May Totals

Books: 7
Total books: 43

Non-fiction, animals: 0
Non-fiction, other: 0
Fiction: 7

TBR Pit books read: 1
Time spent in TBR: 5 months
Library books read: 0
ILL books read: 0
Books borrowed and read: 0
% TBR/library/borrowed: 14%

Books acquired: 29
Cash spent: $24.43

Genres:

6 - "New adult" romance
1 - YA paranormal

Classification:

7 - 813

6 - PS
1 - PZ

I will be lucky to make it to 75 books this year instead of 365 in years past. Uuuugggghhhh....

Title: Uprooted
Author: Naomi Novik
Genre: fantasy
Acquisition: 53 days ago
Classification: PS / 813

5 stars, beautifully written and engaging. Go read it!

June Totals

Books: 1
Total books: 44

Non-fiction, animals: 0
Non-fiction, other: 0
Fiction: 1

TBR Pit books read: 0
Time spent in TBR:0
Library books read: 0
ILL books read: 0
Books borrowed and read: 0
% TBR/library/borrowed: 0%

Books acquired: 13
Cash spent: $138.15

Genres:

1 - fantasy

Classification:

1 - 813

1 - PS

Title: Red Queen
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Genre: YA dystopic
Acquisition: 3 days ago
Classification: PZ / 813

Seems very much like 'The Selection' in style and plot.



Title: Saint Anything
Author: Sarah Dessen
Genre: YA contemporary
Acquisition: 6 days ago
Classification: PZ / 813

The deepest Dessen has gone into psychology, etc, while still being Dessen. Fast reading and pretty.

Title: Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah Maas
Genre: YA fantasy
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Classification: PZ / 813

Beauty and the Beast meets Tamlin in a YA whirlpool of hot guys. Yum.

It is SO not cool that this is a series starter and I have to wait a year to see what happens next. I'm pretty annoyed, especially because it was really good. It takes a lot for me to read about fairies. Harrumph.

Accounting 7-15-15:
1 book, free winning, $0.00
BSAVA Ophthalmology

Accounting 7-17-15:
2 books, amazon, $106.45
for class

Accounting 7-18-15:
1 book, bn.com, kyle bought

Accounting 7-20-15:
2 books, amazon, $123.60
for class

Title: The Kiss of Deception: Remnant Chronicles #1
Author: Mary Pearson
Genre: YA dystopia
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Classification: PZ / 813

July Totals

Books: 4
Total books: 48

Non-fiction, animals: 0
Non-fiction, other: 0
Fiction: 4

TBR Pit books read: 0
Time spent in TBR:0
Library books read: 0
ILL books read: 0
Books borrowed and read: 0
% TBR/library/borrowed: 0%

Books acquired: 8
Cash spent: $230.05

Genres:

3 - YA fantasy
1 - YA contemporary

Classification:

4 - 813

4 - PZ

Sigh. Not going to make 75 books this year.

Title: Quick Medical Terminology
Author: Shirley Soltesz Steiner, Natalie Pate Capps
Genre: Non-fiction, medicine/class
Acquisition: 3 months ago
Classification: PZ / 813

So darn boring. But if you need to learn the basics of medical terminology, the guide is pretty good. Boring, yes, but good. Lots of repetition beats terms into your head. It's human medicine based, so there were lots of terms that you would never use in veterinary medicine and some never covered that are used all the time, so I'm not sure I would recommend it for pre-vet students.

Title: The Raven Boys
Author: Maggie Steifvater
Genre: YA fantasy
Acquisition: reread
Classification: PZ / 813
Aug 9

Love this series. Save Gansey!

Accounting 8-11-15:
1 book, free at work

I don't even have time to look for images in my reviews, let alone chat about the books I manage to read. It's very disheartening. But I am SO excited to cut back my hours at work from 80 to 50-60 a week! I'll have an entire day off every week, so I'll be working only 6 days a week! It's like I'm 5 years old and I'm counting down to Christmas. Only 2 more weeks to go!

Accounting 8-14-15:
1 book, amazon, $18.40
Canine Massage

Emilie, I think that your running book total contains an undervaluation as you don't seem to have carried April's 21 books forward into your overall totals. By my reckoning you have read 69 books so far this year not 48?

Always a pleasure to see what you have been reading by the way.

Wow, thanks for the catch, Paul! That makes me feel so much better!

Title: The Dream Thieves
Author: Maggie Steifvater
Genre: YA fantasy
Acquisition: reread
Classification: PZ / 813



Title: Blue Lily, Lily Blue
Author: Maggie Steifvater
Genre: YA fantasy
Acquisition: 10 months ago
Classification: PZ / 813
Aug 28

More of the Raven Cycle series. I know they're going to kill Gansey, but why!?

Title: The Heart of Betrayal: Remnant Chronicles #2
Author: Mary Pearson
Genre: YA dystopia
Acquisition: 1 month ago
Classification: PZ / 813
Aug 30

Accounting 8-30-15:
1 book, bn.com, Kyle bought

Accounting 8-16-15:
hundreds of work pdfs free from Kayla
vet e-books

August Totals

Books: 5
Total books: 74

Non-fiction, animals: 1
Non-fiction, other: 0
Fiction: 4

TBR Pit books read: 1
Time spent in TBR: 10 months
Library books read: 0
ILL books read: 0
Books borrowed and read: 0
% TBR/library/borrowed: 20%

Books acquired: hundreds, still logging!
Cash spent: $18.50

Genres:

1 - YA dystopia
3 - YA fantasy

1 - Non-fiction, medicine

Classification:

1 - 600something
4 - 813

4 - PZ
1 - Rsomething

Accounting 9-4-15:
1 book, amazon, $38.95
Vet Anat Physio Workbook

Accounting 9-9-15:
1 book, amazon, $32.42
Dog Anat Workbook

Accounting 9-8-15:
1 book, bn.com, Kyle bought
Armentrout gargoyle novella

Accounting 9-1-15:
4 books, B&N, ~$45
Court Thorns Roses hard copy
Maas series
Dessen book
Armentrout gargoyle book 3

Title: White Hot Kiss
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Genre: YA paranormal
Acquisition: re-read
Classification: PZ/813

Harlequin Teen. Lots of longing glances, shivers, and trembling. Oh my. Gargoyles vs demons and the protagonist is caught between.

Oh, good Lord. My 75th book of the year is the same trashy series that I read as the first book of the year.

Title: Stone Cold Touch
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Genre: YA paranormal
Acquisition: re-read
Classification: PZ/813

The continuation of the gargoyle "Dark Elements" series. Roth comes back, but tells Layla their time together meant nothing. Layla is crushed and turns to her old friend Zayne. They do demon-hunting gargoyle things.



Title: Every Last Breath
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Genre: YA paranormal
Acquisition: 1 week ago
Classification: PZ/813

The final book of the gargoyle "Dark Elements" series. Layla finally chooses the right guy and defeats the evil demons.



Title: Dog Anatomy Workbook
Author: Andrew Gardiner
Genre: non-fiction, veterinary medicine
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Classification: SF/636

Terrific study guide/workbook for tech classes. Coloring, labeling, clinical relevances, clear photos, lots of white space for notes. Hard cover, spiral bound. The best workbook for veterinary technology students I've come across.

Title: Bitter Sweet Love
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Genre: YA paranormal
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Classification: PZ/813

Novella about other gargoyles from the "Dark Elements" series.



Title: Frigid
Author: Jennifer Armentrout/J Lynn
Genre: Romance
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Classification: PS/813

Steamy romance. Two friends with feelings for each other are stuck in a ski cabin during a storm. Oh so smutty.



Title: Tempting the Best Man
Author: Jennifer Armentrout/J Lynn
Genre: Romance
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Classification: PS/813

More romance. Cover too risque for posting!

Accounting 9-12-15:
3 books, Kyle got, bn.com

Title: Obsidian
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Genre: YA paranormal
Acquisition: reread
Classification: PZ/813



Title: Onyx
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Genre: YA paranormal
Acquisition: reread
Classification: PZ/813

Books 1 and 2 of the Lux series about an alien in high school who falls for a human girl.



Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah Maas
Genre: YA fantasy
Acquisition: 1 week ago
Classification: PZ/813



Title: Crown of Midnight
Author: Sarah Maas
Genre: YA fantasy
Acquisition: 1 week ago
Classification: PZ/813

Books 1 and 2 of the Throne of Glass series. Wonderful story about an assassin taken from a slave camp and made to compete against other assassins for her freedom. Then she has to do as the evil king bids her, but what effect does it have on her friends and country?

Accounting 9-21-15:
$102.95, online Sudz Publ., 1 book
Pasquini's Anatomy

September Totals

Books: 11
Total books: 85

Non-fiction, animals: 1
Non-fiction, other: 0
Fiction: 10

TBR Pit books read: 0
Time spent in TBR: 1 week
Library books read: 0
ILL books read: 0
Books borrowed and read: 0
% TBR/library/borrowed: 0%

Books acquired: 13
Cash spent: $219.32

Genres:

6 - YA paranormal
2 - YA fantasy

2 - "New adult" contemporary

1 - Non-fiction, vet med

Classification:

1 - 636
10 - 813

2 - PS
8 - PZ
1 - SF

Title: Heir of Fire
Author: Sarah Maas
Genre: YA fantasy
Acquisition: 4 days ago
Classification: PZ/813



Title: Queen of Shadows
Author: Sarah Maas
Genre: YA fantasy
Acquisition: 3 days ago
Classification: PZ/813

Books 3 and 4 of the Throne of Glass series. The series gets even better as you continue. Now that the truth about Celeana came out, how does she deal with it?

Accounting 10-2-15:
$18.12, B&N, 1 book
Queen of Shadows

Accounting 10-2-15:
$34.97, Schuler's, 5 books
Awake at Dawn
Clicking with Your Dog
Cats in Books
Captain Mark Phillips on Riding
Horse Showing for Kids

Accounting 10-10-15:
free, Early Reviewer, 1 book
Simon's Cat

Accounting 10-10-15:
Kyle got for me, bn.com, 1 book
Sweet Evil

Accounting 10-10-15:
$57.18, Schuler's, 4 books
Norse Percy #1
Calpurnia sequel
Shadow and Bone
Girl of Fire and Thorns

Accounting 10-12-15:
$23.46, amazon, 1 book
Horse Anatomy Workbook



Title: The Horse Anatomy Workbook
Author: Maggie Raynor
Genre: Non-fiction, vet med
Acquisition: 6 hours ago
Classification: SF/636

Not as good as the Dog Anatomy Workbook, but probably just because this one is in need of an update with photos and stuff. It's not as involved or lengthy as the Dog Anatomy Workbook and is lacking as many visual references as the other. That being said, it's still a nice coloring resource with nice anatomical illustrations.

Title: Are You Dissing Me?
Author: Simon Winheld
Genre: Humor
Acquisition: 5 months ago
Classification: 817/PN

Early Reviewer. Illustrations of animals are paired with common human concerns and thoughts. I guess I had to be in the right mood for this, because the first few times I tried reading it, I didn't find it terribly funny. I was amused once I figured out the style of humor, but I probably wouldn't pick this up to peruse other than to look at the pretty pictures.



Title: Simon's Cat Off to the Vet
Author: Simon Tofield
Genre: Humor
Acquisition: 1 week ago
Classification: NC/741

Early Reviewer. I've seen a few Simon's Cat videos online, but haven't read on the the print books before. This one was humorous and amusing. The style is more 'cut-outs' of his videos than frames of funny pages comics, and it suits the art well. I shared the book with my veterinary hospital coworkers, and they chuckled a bit too.

Originally 10-17-15

Title: Tempting the Player
Author: Jennifer Armentrout/J Lynn
Genre: Romance
Acquisition: 1 month ago
Classification: PS/813

Title: Tempting the Bodyguard
Author: Jennifer Armentrout/J Lynn
Genre: Romance
Acquisition: 1 month ago
Classification: PS/813

Title: One Night of Trouble
Author: Elle Kennedy
Genre: Romance
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Classification: PS/813

Not much to say other than, uh... they're contemporary romance novels.

Title: I Don't Know What You Know Me From
Author: Judy Greer
Genre: Memoir
Acquisition: library - ILL
Classification: PN/791

Judy Greer is one of my favorite actresses - she's in EVERYTHING. She wrote an autobiography/memoir. It didn't blow me away with humor as I had hoped, but it wasn't badly written.



Title: Kitten Care and Training
Author: Amy Shojai
Genre: Non-fiction, animals
Acquisition: library
Classification: SF/636

Basic, first time cat owner book. Not terribly detailed, but well-rounded.

October Totals

Books: 10
Total books: 95

Non-fiction, animals: 2
Non-fiction, other: 1
Fiction: 7

TBR Pit books read: 1
Time spent in TBR: 6 hours - 5 months
Library books read: 1
ILL books read: 1
Books borrowed and read: 0
% TBR/library/borrowed: 30%

Books acquired: 13
Cash spent: $133.73

Genres:

2 - YA fantasy
3 - Adult romance
2 - Humor

1 - Memoir
2 - Non-fiction, animals

Classification:

2 - 636
1 - 741
1 - 791
5 - 813
1 - 817

1 - NC
1 - PN
4 - PS
2 - PZ
2 - SF

Title: If Your Cat could Talk
Author: Bruce Fogle
Genre: Non-fiction, animals
Acquisition: library - ILL
Classification: SF/636

Recommended for clients in Bonnie Beaver's Clinical Behavior due to photos of cat body language, and I can see why. Terrific resource for clients. Lots of pictures, just enough text to educate. I want to buy a copy for each exam room.

Title: I Can Has Cheezburger?
Author: icanhascheezburger.com
Genre: Humor
Acquisition: 6 months ago
Classification: PN/818

A selection of captioned photos similar to the old website. meh.

Whoops, forgot to log a book I read last month!



Title: The Scorpio Races
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: YA fantasy
Acquisition: 1 year ago
Classification: PZ/813

Puck enters her regular horse into a race against fantasy water horses so she can save her home and family. Sean, the winner of the race the last several years, wants to win to be able to buy the horse he's bonded with. The rest of the riders don't want either to win - Sean because he's favored, or Puck because she's the first girl to ride in the races.

It's a beautiful story with lovely horsey images. Very pretty.

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah Maas
Genre: YA fantasy
Acquisition: reread
Classification: PZ/813

Reread. In this retelling of Beauty and the Beast, the beast is a shape-shifting fairy and the magic rose is a curse placed by an evil fairy intent upon taking over the world (and the Beast). Feyre not only falls in love with the beast (surprise!) but goes on to save him from the evil fairy by completing tasks and puzzles. This is a wonderful fairy tale and I can't wait until the next in the series is released in summer.

Title: Fresh Off the Boat
Author: Eddie Huang
Genre: Memoir
Acquisition: library - ILL
Classification: TX/647

It's an interesting reading experience reading a memoir of someone who with I share almost no similarities. He took being a belittled minority and turned it into rage - identifying with gangsta rappers, dealing drugs, and making fun of girls like me to going to law school, being a foodie, and defending his family.

It's not like the tv show at all. I'm kind of glad, because I usually don't read outside of my comfort zone. Huang doesn't write poorly. I'd recommend it to people who love Asian food or grew up listening to rap/hip hop in the 90s, but I think I'm missing a lot of the references - and definitely some of the slang he uses.

Title: Horse Vet
Author: Courtney Diehl
Genre: Memoir, vet med
Acquisition: library - ILL
Classification: SF/636

It was lovely to read about someone who walked the talk. Suicide and burnout is a big deal in veterinary medicine (moreso than any other medical profession now). Diehl wrote not only to entertain and inform about her life as a equine vet, but to include her own tips on how to deal and combat with the veterinary stressors. Hers was religion, but she does it in a way that applies to those without faith as well. She included her contact information if any vet just needed someone to talk to. It was very heartening to read her descriptions of dealing with certain clients. I was hoping for more stories about the ambulatory trials and tribulations, but wasn't disappointed when I got stories on how to deal instead. Thank you, Dr Diehl!

Title: You're Never Weird on the Internet Almost
Author: Felicia Day
Genre: Memoir
Acquisition: library (Overdrive)
Classification: PN/791

I finally figured out how to use Overdrive to rent books on my Nook. Yay!

As for less important things, like a thought or two about the book... I thought I was the only one who grew up thinking becoming an orphan or being shipped off to boarding school would be great (book heroines got so much from this), so it was nice to see that I'm not the only freak. Her off-beat upbringing, college career, and anxieties made for intriguing reading.

>111 alsvidur: Yay, Overdrive! I am constantly using them for audio books.

I liked this book too. I wish I were friends with Felicia Day.

Title: Flambards
Author: KM Peyton
Genre: Fiction
Acquisition: 2 years ago
Classification: PZ/823

Early 1900s England. Christina is an orphan due to come into money when she turns 21. She's been passed around her relatives until one requests that she lives with him and his sons at their manor called Flambards, ideally to marry the eldest son when she comes of age. The problem is that his eldest son is a hot-head, the uncle is nasty to the younger son who would rather do anything than go hunting, and everyeone treats the stableboy Dick terribly awful, even though he is nothing but kind to Christina. While Christina learns the sport of foxhunting, she also grows up.



Title: The Edge of the Cloud: Flambards #2
Author: KM Peyton
Genre: Fiction
Acquisition: 2 years ago
Classification: PZ/823

Christina has grown up a bit. She falls in love with Will and they run away together. Will works all the time flying his airplanes, trying to get enough money to support them. Christina is less enthused about the extremely dangerous occupation her husband has.



Title: Flambards in Summer: Flambards #3
Author: KM Peyton
Genre: Fiction
Acquisition: 2 years ago
Classification: PZ/823

The beginning of this book hit me like a ton of bricks; I was sobbing. Beware the the first few chapters pull the rug out from under you! Will dies in France during WWI and Christina, pregnant, makes her way back to Flambards to pull it up from ruin.



Title: Flambards Divided: Flambards #4
Author: KM Peyton
Genre: Fiction
Acquisition: 2 years ago
Classification: PZ/823

Christina and Dick are shunned from society since their marriage - how low can she be to marry a former stablehand? Mark, who has been reported missing, suddenly returns to Flambards to recuperate from being injured during war. Mark is still in love with her, even though he married her best friend.

This is a great series; I'm sad I missed it growing up, but I'm glad I got to read it for the first time now, when I got a lot of the subtext and customs. Seriously though, the jump from book 2 to 3 - that was completely unsettling. "Yay for impending marriage! Young love! Happiness!" to "Young widow in mourning clothes, missing her loved". Also, I would recommend stopping after the original trilogy - the 4th book was tough on every character, and not in a great way. Terrific series. I'm really not sure to classify it for kids, young adults, or adults. It can be all.

November Totals

Books: 11
Total books: 106

Non-fiction, animals: 2
Non-fiction, other: 2
Fiction: 7

TBR Pit books read: 6
Time spent in TBR: 6 months - 2 years
Library books read: 1
ILL books read: 3
Books borrowed and read: 0
% TBR/library/borrowed: 91%

Books acquired: 0
Cash spent: $0.00

Genres:

2 - YA fantasy
4 - Fiction (juvenile?)
1 - Humor
2 - Memoir
2 - Non-fiction, animals

Classification:

2 - 636
1 - 647
1 - 791
2 - 813
1 - 818
4 - 823

2 - PN
6 - PZ
2 - SF
1 - TX

Title: My True Love Gave to Me: 12 Holiday Stories
Author: various
Genre: YA short stories
Acquisition: 1 year ago
Classification: PZ/813

I started this book last year; it felt good to finish it. The stories are cute and fun and are told by some of the best YA authors.



Title: The Fox in the Cupboard
Author: Jane Shilling
Genre: Memoir
Acquisition: a billion years ago (10?)
Classification: SK/799

Jane started foxhunting in the UK right before the whole hunting act went down that prohibited it. She described her beginnings and adventures, but all the while mostly effusing about the love of the countryside and riding to hounds.

For my Christmas/Hanukkah/Solstice/Holiday image this year (we are so diverse!), I've chosen this photograph by local photographer Mark Lenoce of the pier at Pacific Beach to express my holiday wishes to you: Peace on Earth and Good Will toward All!

Title: Yes Please
Author: Amy Poehler
Genre: Memoir/humor
Acquisition: library
Classification: PN/792

Poehler's version of Bossypants. Amusing. Poehler seems like she has her sh*t together.



Title: Girl Walks into a Bar
Author: Rachel Dratch
Genre: Memoir/humor
Acquisition: library
Classification: PN/792

Dratch discusses her life after SNL, focusing on dating in middle age. Not as pithy as I was hoping - less of a humor book, and more of a memoir/dating book.



Title: Tricky Twenty-Two
Author: Janet Evanovich
Genre: Mystery/chick lit
Acquisition: library
Classification: PS/813

Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, gets dumped by Morelli. She chases people and gets into humorous situations, like usual. Nice fluff.

Title: Home Front Girl: A Diary of Love, Literature, and Growing Up in Wartime America
Author: Joan Wehlen Morrison
Genre: Memoir, history
Acquisition: library (Overdrive)
Classification: F/977

Joan's diary from the 1930s through 1943 chronicles her youth and teenage years while including a bit of historical happenings. Not earth-shattering writing and it drags a bit when it cuts out towards the end and gets patchy (some diaries were missing). Still interesting to read.

December Totals

Books: 6
Total books: 112

Non-fiction, animals: 1
Non-fiction, other: 3
Fiction: 2

TBR Pit books read: 2
Time spent in TBR: 1 year - about 10 years
Library books read: 4
ILL books read: 0
Books borrowed and read: 0
% TBR/library/borrowed: 100%

Books acquired: 0
Cash spent: $0.00

Genres:

1 - YA short stories
4 - Memoir
1 - chick lit

Classification:

2 - 792
1 - 799
2 - 813
1 - 977

1 - F
2 - PN
1 - PS
1 - PZ
1 - SK

2015 Totals

Total books: 112

Non-fiction, animals: 13
Non-fiction, other: 6
Fiction: 93

TBR Pit books read: 26
Time spent in TBR: 6 hours – over 5 years (maybe 10?)
Library books read: 7
ILL books read: 4
Books borrowed and read: 0
% TBR/library/borrowed: 33%

Books acquired: 432 (228 free from Kayla)
Cash spent: $1323.39

After that heart attack, I checked how much I spent on materials for school: $488.99, which leaves my spending on books for pleasure or self-learning at $834.40, a much safer total for my financial well-being!

Genres:

17 - Children's picture book
4 - Children's non-fiction, animals

19 - Juvenile fiction, animals
1 - Juvenile non-fiction, animals

1 - Middle grades fiction, animals

15 - YA fantasy
2 - YA contemporary
1 - YA dystopia
16 - YA paranormal
1 - YA short stories

9 - "New adult" romance

2 - Adult mystery
2 - Adult chick lit
3 – Adult romance
1 – Adult fantasy
4 - Humor
7 – Memoir

6 - Non-fiction, animals
1 - Non-fiction, medicine

DD Classification:

1 - 591 zoology
1 - 595 invertebrates

1 – 610 medicine
5 – 636 animal husbandry

1 – 741 drawing
2 – 751 painting techniques, equipment, forms
2 – 791 public performances
2 - 792 stage performances
1 – 799 fishing, hunting, shooting

1 – 811 American poetry
81 – 813 American fiction
1 – 817 American satire
1 – 823 English fiction

1 – 977 American history - North Central states

LOC classification

2 – F local history of the US and Latin America

3 – NC drawing

5 – PN literature (general)
17 – PS literature (American)
72 – PZ literature for kids

1 – QL zoology

1 - R medicine

7 – SF animal husbandry
1 – SK hunting

1 - TX home economics