Ronincats Revels in Reading 100+

My reading is heavily slanted toward science fiction and fantasy genre reading, but I try to work in at least a dozen nonfiction books a year, along with a few mysteries, romances and children’s books as well as books heavily recommended by other LTers. I’m also fond of rereading favorite books. I usually read around 150 books a year, as I’m a fast reader, and set my goals accordingly.
















Goals:

I will continue my default goals of 150 books and 50,000 pages read for the year. This is right at my comfort level and usual reading rate for the year.

I did well on my goal to acquire fewer books than last year. I will continue that goal as well.

Thanks to a last minute donation to the library, I met my goal to get rid of more books than I acquired. I will continue this goal also.

I failed miserably in reading books off my own shelves--only 11. I plan to set a goal of 40 unread books now on my own shelves for the coming year.

Fiction: The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher
Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Nonfiction: The Smartest Kids in the World by Amanda Ripley
The Mantle of the Prophet by Roy Mottahedeh

Children’s: Hold Fast by Blue Balliett

Children’s series: The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas
Lockwood & Co. by Jonathan Stroud

Fantasy series: Max Gladstone’s Craft Sequence
Kate Griffin’s Matthew Swift books

Best series continuations: A Red-rose Chain by Seanan McGuire (Toby Daye)
Voyage of the Basilisk by Marie Brennan (Lady Trent)
Winter by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles)

Best alt. history regencies masquerading as fantasy:
The Midnight Queen by Sylvia Izzo Hunter
Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho
Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix

honorable mention: Uprooted by Naomi Novik
The Bullet-catcher’s Daughter by Rod Duncan
Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear

And now it's time to talk about my plans for the year and this month in particular. I will pick and choose among the national author challenges in the 75 book challenge group, and will use them primarily to motivate me to pick up books by authors I've been meaning to read. British authors I may read include Jane Gardam (BAC May) (I read Old Filth with a group a couple of years ago and have always meant to continue the series), Agatha Christie (BAC February) and Rumer Godden (BAC Wildcard) and of course will read Diana Wynne Jones in August. I'd like to read the first in a trilogy by Margaret Atwood (CAC April) and will reread a L. M. Montgomery in July.

I am planning to keep up with Suzanne's nonfiction challenge, starting with a biography in January. And I am planning to finally read War and Peace with the group read this year!

Other than that, I like to read by inclination and opportunity. I do scan the new speculative fiction coming out each month and get as much from the library as I can both from that and from my wishlist, and the library does have an amazing amount of it--my books bought have declined every year since I started keeping stats, from 137 in 2011 to 70 in 2015.

Right now, I am reading the fantasy Six of Crows, the biographies The House of Twenty Thousand Books and The Story of Charlotte's Web, and a book on religion, Paul and the Faithfulness of God. The last is a long-term project on my Kindle, the first two are library books and the third a BOMS. Home from the library are Armada and Halo: Mortal Dictata. And of course there are the 250 or more books in my tbr pile here at home--the ones where I hope to make a dent with my BOMS goal. But War and Peace awaits me at the library right now.

Welcome back! I've heard a lot of good things about Six of Crows so I'm looking forward to your review.

I think I may have to follow up with you here.... there aren't as many post to keep up with :) - as always I will be the creepy lurker in the corner :)

Wow, two Jennifers in a row!

>4 jfetting: Good to be here. Six of Crows has gotten a lot of good reviews, but it's a heist movie with an ensemble cast and for some reason I always have difficulty getting into those. Still working on it, though.

>5 lovelyluck: You are certainly welcome to follow me here--definitely fewer posts. Fair warning, though--you will miss all my crafts photos!

>6 ronincats: Thanks for the warning - I think I can pop over there see the craft pictures and them come back here for the books - I will keep you starred on both threads :) but YAY!

Book #1 A Winterfold Christmas by Harriet Evans (pp. 66)

I forgot to make a note as to who recommended this author as an entertaining and witty regency romance writer. I picked up this novella up to check her out. It was okay but it wasn't Regency and it was a pastiche of characters from previous books, coming home for Christmas. I suspect I would have gotten a lot more out of it had I read those books, and still look forward to trying one of her Regencies.



Book #2 The Last Chance Christmas Ball by Mary Jo Putney etal. (320 pp.)

I did not get any of my Christmas reading done this year. For years, there was an annual publication of a Regency Christmas anthology, but that ceased and I haven't found any reliable good-quality substitute, and I've reread those stories so many times that I know them by heart. So when I saw this new anthology with Putney's name on it at a reduced rate, I grabbed it and it did satisfy my need for heavily sentimental Christmas romances for this season. AND it means I've finally finished a compleat book!

Book #3 Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (465 pp.)

As I've noted above, this has received excellent reviews, but it was a slow read for me. Often compared to The Lies of Locke Lamora, it is an ensemble cast involved in a heist and those just don't work well for me. (I've bounced off tLoLL twice) It's done well enough. I hadn't realized there was a previous trilogy set in the same world (which evidently hadn't triggered the same level of acclaim) and that might have gotten me more into this book. And then, while the episode wraps up, there is major unfinished business when the book ends, and I'm not at all sure I want to read on. So, if you loved Locke Lamora, you'll enjoy this but probably not quite as much.



Book #4 The House of Twenty Thousand Books by Sasha Abramsky (340 pp.)

I ordered this from the library as soon as I saw it--with a title like that and the cover! But it is not primarily a book about books. It is a memoir of the author's grandfather, a Russian Jew who immigrated to England in 1931 after his famed rabbi father was released from 2 years in a Siberian labor camp. Chimen Abramsky was first a dedicated Communist who collected seminal Socialist literature and then, when that dream became varnished, one of the world's foremost experts of historical Judaica. Organizing his reminisces and the history of Chimen's life and the illustrious people who visited his house by the rooms of the house and the different collections they held, Sasha pulls together an interesting account of the people in England integral to the Jewish Communist Committee, the interaction of London Jews with the formation of Israel, and those involved in discovering and dealing with historical books.

Book #5 Sorry I Barfed on your Bed byJeremy Greenberg (62 pp.)

Cute and clever.



Book #6 St. Paul: The Apostle We Love To Hate by Karen Armstrong (158 pp.)

This is definitely St. Paul light, but I have a pretty complete collection of Armstrong's books so picked this up. The British subtitle is "The Misunderstood Apostle". Armstrong sets out what is known about Paul from what sources (rightly distrusting much of Luke's agenda) and identifying the writings from later times that have been attributed to Paul. The thing that was new to me was the information that, despite the mythology, we know absolutely nothing about what happened to Paul after he was arrested in Jerusalem--he simply disappears.



Book #7 Terry Pratchett: The Spirit of Fantasy by Craig Cabell (244 pp.)

This book is not so much a biography of Pratchett's life but a biography of his writing development, especially in terms of themes and imagination, and how his diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's disease in 2007 led to strong activism both for research on the disease and for assisted-death legislation as well as stimulating themes in his writing. Cabell is a journalist who apparently makes a living writing about authors. His style is dry, analytic, detached. I don't know that I got any great insights into either Sir Pterry or his writing, but Cabell does include an exhaustive bibliography of book editions (British) and movies at the end.

Book #8 Halo: Mortal Dictata by Karen Traviss (496 pp.)

This is a book further along in a series I haven't read, and the interesting thing is that many of the people who have followed the series hate this book and feel it destroys the spirit of the previous books. Coming to it completely fresh, I found it interesting and complex science fiction and the moral dilemmas quite understandable.



Book #9 Penric's Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold (109 pp.)

A charming novella, best appreciated by those who have read the earlier Chalion books. A coming of age story with the complication of demons and the Five God world of this universe.



Book #10 Blood Rites: Origins and History of the Passions of War by Barbara Ehrenreich (241 pp.)

This was put on my wishlist by member joaquin, whom I've not seen around the last few years, and PaperBackSwap came through with a copy about two years ago.

This book is fascinating and deeply disturbing. Fascinating in the way she links our violent tendencies to man's evolution at some point from prey to predator and the resulting ambivalence of the species. Fascinating in the way she shows how war has shaped culture and how shifts in technology have shifted war have shifted culture. Disturbing in the realization that the logical reasons we apply to war are not really that valid and the underlying layers point to a war meme that is not in human control. Despite this book being almost 20 years old, these are not concepts I've seen in the mainstream consciousness, and yet they seem valid and powerful.

Book #11 The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare (295 pp.)

This is the first of a middle school fantasy quintet by two authors well-known in the field. It's a quick read, entertaining and with some good red herrings out there!



Book #12 The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley (336 pp.)

I downloaded this when it was a Daily Deal, and put it on top of the tbrs when a group read was organized for this month (plus it fit Fantasy February). I seem to be in sync with the other readers in really liking the setting and the characters and the first three parts of the plot. Then it gets confusing, not only in the plot but in the actions of some of the characters that seem uncharacteristic. Wish the last part had been handled differently but enjoyed the characters.

Book #13 New Order: A decluttering handbook for Creative Folks by Fay Wolf.

What can I say? I'm a sucker for organization books. I never follow through, but I love reading them. This one was pretty par for the course on most of its recommendations. Where it stood out was the section on decluttering digitally, like your In Box in your email, and a listing of resources on where you can donate specific types of things.



Book #14 The Copper Gauntlet by Holly Black and Cassandra Claire (265 pp.)

Second book in a middle school fantasy series, this chronicles Call's second year at the Magisterium. The action continues but Call's angst gets a little wearing, even when he's balancing his Evil Overlord points. Now I have the wait for the rest of the series to be written and published.



Book #15 Games Wizards Play by Diane Duane (640 pp.)

I broke down and bought (via Kindle) Games Wizards Play, the newest of the Young Wizards series by Diane Duane and loved it. Not the place to start, but a great continuation!

Book #16 Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie (197 pp.)

While I have seen nearly all the Hercule Poirot BBC episodes and some of the Jane Marple ones, I've never read any of Christie's books. I picked up this one in response to the British Authors Challenge and enjoyed it.

Agatha Christie is a treat. The couple of years I spent reading all the Poirot books, Miss Marple... and her lesser known mysteries. All I have left to read now is her autobiographies. Poirot remains my favorite of her characters.

Hi, Roni. I'm thinking of starting a thread over here, where I might be able to keep up. Of course, I'm three months behind, but there it is. I miss listing my reads, but I get stressed out when I feel like I'm behind. Looks like this group will give me more time to read! Although I really miss everyone.... :(

Terri, we are certainly less chatty here, that's true. But everyone would love to have you show up on the 75ers, even if all you do is list your books.

Book #17 Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman (354 pp.)

Amazon Description: For twelve-year-old Emily, the best thing about moving to San Francisco is that it's the home city of her literary idol: Garrison Griswold, book publisher and creator of the online sensation Book Scavenger (a game where books are hidden in cities all over the country and clues to find them are revealed through puzzles). Upon her arrival, however, Emily learns that Griswold has been attacked and is now in a coma, and no one knows anything about the epic new game he had been poised to launch. Then Emily and her new friend James discover an odd book, which they come to believe is from Griswold himself, and might contain the only copy of his mysterious new game.

Racing against time, Emily and James rush from clue to clue, desperate to figure out the secret at the heart of Griswold's new game―before those who attacked Griswold come after them too.

Thanks to CompSki for warbling about this middle-school book on her thread. I loved it as much as the Blue Balliett books to which it is compared, and the concept of the Book Scavenger game is SO MUCH FUN!

Book #18 Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold (344 pp.)

Finally, after many, many years, we get a book about Cordelia again! And this one is not space opera but an examination of aging and endings and beginnings and, of course, a little bit of farce, and we get to see Miles and Ekaterin and the 6 kids...and we see Cordelia re-establish her center without Aral and move on her own goals.

So I finished one nonfiction I've been working on for a week or so and picked up a BOTS fantasy that is for my reading group next week.



Book #19 The Bible Doesn't Say That: 40 Biblical Mistranslations, Misconceptions, and Other Misunderstandings by Joel M. Hoffman (304 pp.)

The author is a foremost expert in ancient Hebrew language and translation issues. This book is tagged "religious right" and "us politics" in LT, neither of which seem to me appropriate. On the contrary, Hoffman is careful to maintain a studied neutrality to the modern interpretations of scripture that exist, maintaining that it is the right of religious leaders to do so, but working to clarify what the writings meant to the people in the language of the time. Sometimes this means identifying translation errors but often it means tracking how word meanings have changed over time so that a translation that might have been accurate using an English word 400 years ago no longer is because the meaning of that word has evolved in a different direction. Once he has set the framework, each chapter is short and to the point and very readable. I enjoyed it.



Book #20 Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara (507 pp.)

I picked this up this morning and finished it well before bedtime here, so you can see that it is very readable and also held my interest well. I picked this up from PaperBackSwap in January of 2013--I had confused the author with another whose first book in a series I hadn't particularly liked for quite a while and finally realized it, so wanted to give this series a try. It's classic fantasy, good female protagonist with great world-building and lots of action and I've got the second (it's a long series by now) on order from the library.

Book #21 Updraft by Fran Wilde (364 pp.)

This book was added to my reading list by archerygirl when she listed the Nebula Award nominees and the library had it! It's the sort of fantasy that used to be science fiction, life in another world where people live on spires above the clouds and use artificial wings to fly. It's both a coming of age story and an examination of the social structure of the civilization. Quite well done and very readable!



Book #22 Interim Errantry by Diane Duane (459 pp.)

Three stories occurring between books 9 and 10 of the Young Wizards series, these include a short story about Halloween, a novellete about Christmas and a novella that is a really great story about evacuating a planet.

Book #23 Indexing: Reflections by Seanan McGuire (325 pp.)

This series takes place in our modern world, where fairy tale archetypes have the power to take over a person's personality and life, usually with tragic results. And our protagonist, Harry (harriett), starts the series as a dormant Snow White who is an agent of the Bureau who works to find and nullify the storylines before they can harm others. In this, book two, Harry is having to deal with having her storyline activated and how this affects her investigative team. As always, the author is original and a fine storyteller herself. For some reason, with this particular series (as opposed to the Toby Daye books or the Incryptids or the others), I cannot read it straight through. I have to put the book down, let it rest a day before picking it back up to continue. But I always continue.



Book #24 Chaos Choreography by Seanan McGuire (356 pp.)

Book 5 of the Incryptid series sees us back with Verity Price as the viewpoint character as she is invited to take up her dancing persona once more in the TV show Dance or Die. Only problem is that there is a snake cult murdering eliminated contestants. Love the world-building in this urban fantasy series.

Book #25 Biblical Literalism: The Gentile Heresy by John Shelby Spong (421 pp.)

The authors of the Gospels have similar events in different orders according to their own purposes. Spong postulates that Matthew structured his gospel, not as history, but as liturgy, designed to be used by the congregation in conjunction with the Jewish liturgical year. His analysis shows how the structure of the Gospel fits the themes of the major Jewish celebrations, with appropriately themed teaching stories filling in the Sabbaths in between. Gentiles converted to Christianity would misinterpret the purpose and logic of the scripture, reading it as a biography of Jesus' life.

Spong has been an informed and passionate defender and critic of Christianity for a long time. He argues that the gospels were not concerned with theology but with how the community of Christians were to live and act in their current setting. In this book, he is not arguing about the need to reinterpret present-day institutionall Christianity in light of the Christian message but focusing on the interpretation of Matthew's gospel in light of the Jewish year.



Book #26 Heap House by Edward Carey (405 pp.)

Ilana talked up this book here on LT, causing many of us to read it. Carey plays with language, transposing it, lavishing it in lushly atmospheric displays in an eerie tale of the Iremongers. Shades of Our Mutual Friend, the setting is amidst the heaps of London, but these are organic, perilous, shifting heaps, and Heap House is the dwelling of a family with a strange link to birth objects. This is not a children's book, imho. There are disturbing and violent incidents. It is an alien world, one drawn in detail, and an intriguing tale. But--if I did not know this was going to be a series--I would have thrown the book at the wall at the ending.



Book #27 City of Blades by Robert Jackson Bennett (498 pp.)

Bennett's first book in this series, City of Stairs, was our introduction to a world in which Divinities evolved, ruled, and eventually were killed in a war with the slave nation of Saypur. Since then, Saypur has ruled the Continent in addition its own island nation, destroying remnants of the Divine and dealing with the destruction caused by the deaths of the Divinities. In this book, one of the characters from the previous book, General Mulaghesh, is sent to informally investigate a possible Divine substance at another major city.

It was much easier for me to get into this book with the first book having done a lot of the world-building. The action is fast-paced, the plot is intricate, the setting is fascinating. I enjoyed this even more than the first book.

Book #28 Cast in Courtlight by Michelle Sagara (488 pp.)

Kaylin continues to attract problems in high places. Still ranked very good. Reminds me of the Toby Daye series (which I love) but in an alien world setting rather than Celtic mythology and our current world settings. Have ordered Book 3 of the series from the library.



Book #29 Staked by Kevin Hearne (310 pp.)

So this finally came in at my library branch, and I picked it up and read it yesterday. Continues the three viewpoint thing but it didn't bother me so much this time. And Atticus got one major problem resolved, although there are still a couple hovering on the horizon. Less snark and character, but that's because of having all those storylines going, I think. Probably not enough Oberon.

Book #30 Lady of Magick by Sylvia Izzo Hunter (432 pp.)

Amazon description:
Sylvia Izzo Hunter brought “both rural Brittany and an alternative Regency England to vivid life”* in The Midnight Queen, her debut novel of history, magic, and myth. Now, in her new Noctis Magicae novel, Sophie and Gray Marshall are ensnared in an arcane plot that threatens to undo them both.

In her second year of studies at Merlin College, Oxford, Sophie Marshall is feeling alienated among fellow students who fail to welcome a woman to their ranks. So when her husband, Gray, is invited north as a visiting lecturer at the University in Din Edin, they leap at the chance. There, Sophie’s hunger for magical knowledge can finally be nourished. But soon, Sophie must put her newly learned skills to the test.

Sophie returns home one day to find a note from Gray—he’s been summoned urgently to London. But when he doesn’t return, and none of her spells can find a trace of him, she realizes something sinister has befallen him. With the help of her sister, Joanna, she delves into Gray’s disappearance, and soon finds herself in a web of magick and intrigue that threatens not just Gray, but the entire kingdom.

This is even better than the first book! I love the world-building, I love the characters, and I love the plots. Strongly recommended! But read the first book, The Midnight Queen, first.

Books #31 & 32 Unseemly Science and The Custodian of Marvels by Rod Duncan (368 pp. and 368 pp.)

Continuing the story begun in The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter, Elizabeth Barnabas continue to lead her double life and to achieve revenge against the man who destroyed her father and seeks to enslave her. This is an imaginative alternative Britain with non-stop action, definitely recommended.



Book #33 Cast in Secret by Michelle Sagara (521 pp.)

Book 3 continues Kaylin's involvement with dire circumstances in high places. Still like the characters and world-building, must order the next from the library.



Book #34 The Reckoners by Doranna Durgin (347 pp.)

I received this ebook through the Early Reviewers program on LibraryThing. I've heard good things about Doranna Durgin and was interested in trying her out with this paranormal urban fantasy. This was evidently an early book which Durgin has now expanded on the otherworld fantasy components. I suspect that because I am an experienced science fiction and fantasy reader, the elements of this books seemed fairly unoriginal on the fantasy end and far too stereotypical on the romance end. Everything seemed fancy window-dressing for the classic romance elements, and the characters had little depth to them despite the author's efforts to create some backstory.

Book #35 Voyage of the Basilisk by Marie Brennan (348 pp.)

This was a reread done for my book group, but also fortuitously timed because book 4 in the series comes out next week, and that means I'll be freshly up to date when my copy arrives Tuesday! Love this series and Lady Trent's voice!

March Summary

Books read: 14
Pages read: 5,646
Average pages per book: 403
Average pages per day: 182

13 new reads, 1 reread
4 library books
7 ebooks
2 Books off my shelves: 1 tpb, 1 ebook (ER)

13 fantasy, 1 nonfiction

Author gender: 8 female, 6 male

Books acquired: 3 (1 fantasy, 1 nf, 1 mystery)
1 book deaccessioned

2016 First Quarter Summary

Total books read: 35
Total pages read: 11943
Average pages/book: 341
Average pages/day: 131

New reads: 33
Rereads: 2
Library books: 11
Books Off My Shelf: 4

Format:
Hardback: 13
Trade paperback: 6
Mass market paperback: 2
Ebook: 14

Genre
Science Fiction: 2
Fantasy:19
Children's: 3
Nonfiction: 7
Fiction: 1
Romance: 2
Mystery: 1

Author Gender
Female authors: 25
Male authors: 10

Country of Origin:
USA: 26
England: 8
Canada: 1

Date of publication:
2016: 9
2105: 15
2014: 4
2013: 1
2012: 1
2007: 1
2006: 1
2005: 1
1997: 1
1936: 1

Books Acquired: 23
Books read of those acquired: 14
Amount spent: $113.47
Average price per book: $4.93

Source:
Early Reviewers: 2
PaperbackSwap.com: 3
Amazon: 18 (15 ebooks, 3 dead tree books)

Genre:
Science Fiction: 2
Fantasy: 10
Children's: 1
Nonfiction: 7
Romance: 2
Mystery: 1

2 books out the door, one via paperbackswap and one donated to my elementary school library

I've been neglecting my updates for this group--sorry!



Book #36 The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester (329 pp.)

This has been in my tbr pile for quite a while and when Compski read it this week and gave it a good review, I pulled it out for a quick read. Definitely a book for middle graders (4-6) without the subtlety to make it attractive to adults, but still an imaginative if somewhat heavy-handed take on being yourself and the value of diversity.



Book #37 Harmony Black by Craig Schaefer (332 pp.)

The title character is evidently a minor character in a previous series by the author. Events in those books are alluded to in the first chapter but aren't really relevant to the story. Harmony is a buttoned-down type who is also a witch, and she gets drafted into a rather flexible FBI unit that deals with the supernatural. In this case, mostly demons in a Hell that is rather organized. It was an interesting police procedural type story and I liked the rationale behind the actions of the demons and how they were used. Might read more--there's a second book out. Decent urban fantasy, especially since the love interest was minimal and was not another main protagonist. Heck, that's original enough in itself to attract me!



Book #38 In the Labyrinth of Drakes by Marie Brennan (350 pp.)

Of course I started and finished this the same day I got it. Book 4 of the Lady Trent memoirs, this is another engaging account of her adventures as a dragon naturalist. Some things get resolved (yes!) as her travels lead her to the desert nation of Ahknia. No spoilers. Yet, I felt that the ending was somewhat rushed, although on the other hand I realize that what was going on at that time was not where her true interests lay. Still a series I recommend strongly.



Book #39 Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire (174 pp.)

Such an original concept! Such characters! Too short (it's a novella) with so much more opportunity to expand--it feels unfinished somehow, although it has a definite beginning and ending (albeit somewhat rushed). Paid too much for it just because it's a McGuire. Would have loved her to put the kind of development into it that she did into Sparrow Hill Road, but as much as she writes, I'm sure she has to prioritize her time.

Book #40 Cast in Fury by Michelle Sagara (384 pp.)

Okay, I can't resist this series. Even though the City of San Diego is missing books 4 and 5 of this series in their library (they have 1,2,3,6,7,8,9,) and even though after I pointed this out, they have ordered them, I couldn't wait and so put them on my Kindle. The books are like potato chips, you can't read just one. Kaylin continues to be a nexus of violence, change, and inability to make it to work on time. Nuff said!



Book #41 Cast in Silence by Michelle Sagara (384 pp.)

So I rushed right on to the fifth book in the Chronicles of Elantra series, the other one I bought for my Kindle because the library was missing these two. (Book 6 is already on its way to my branch through the library system). This one is more internal in focus--we spend a lot of time in Kaylin's head, both present and past, and the action is less frenetic. Although this is not right now my favorite of the series, those people who have already read the series and are coming back to reread seem to value it, and I am content to trust them.

Book #42 Putting God Second: How to Save Religion From Itself by Rabbi Donniel Hartman (170 pp.)

I finished this book on April 15 and have been waiting until I had time and energy to write a review that does it justice. I received this book through the Early Reviewers program, and it was a fortunate choice.

Rabbi Hartman addresses what he thinks are two major flaws in monotheistic religions, flaws that come with the territory as it were. The first is God Intoxication, where demonstrating loyalty and fidelity to God's will is more important than the consequences or effects of such behavior, leading to divinely sanctioned indifference to the needs, sensitivities, and interests of others and even of oneself. "This consuming vision of God eclipses not merely one's moral impulses but also one's awareness of, and regard for, the world. If the world is unimportant, moral responsibility to its inhabitants loses meaningful significance."

The second flaw is God Manipulation, which enables believers to justify unchecked self-interest. "...the myth of chosenness supports an image of God that subverts (ethical sensitivity to the other's needs) by enabling us to exclude most others from this obligation, legitimating a systemic moral double standard. For those who claim to own God, there is no sin that cannot be purified, sanctified, and ultimately transformed into a virtue."

Hartman calls these monotheism's autoimmune disease. Are they inherent to the system, unavoidable? If so, their legacy of moral mediocrity, corruption and even downright evil prevents the aspiration to produce individuals and communities of moral excellence. Hartman then talks about the prospects of recovering from this disease within the context of Judaism. Although he quotes at times from the New Testament and the Koran, he feels specifics for counteracting these diseases in Christianity and Islam should come within those communities. Through the use of Jewish scripture and Torah, he explains why the touchstone is always, does our religion result in ethical behavior toward ALL humanity? While this may seem self-evident and trite when I say it here, the way he develops this and supports it through the evolving meaning of Scripture and the Jewish tradition is masterful and fascinating reading. I recommend this to everyone with any interest in religion.

I was ready, however, for something lighter to follow, and this fit the bill, arriving from PaperBackSwap the week before.



Book #43 Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson (278 pp.)

This is an original, creative and beautiful retelling of the classic Perrault fairy tale, The Fairies, where one sister's encounter with a fairy results in diamonds and jewels whenever she speaks, while the other sister sheds snakes, toads, and lizards with speech. I loved the nuanced redistribution of responsibility and fault, the refusal to settle for black and white, the resetting in a fictional Asian setting. If you at all like fairy tale retellings, this one is highly recommended!



Book #44 Cast in Chaos by Michelle Sagara (503 pp.)

And I continue devouring these like potato chips, as soon as they arrive at my branch library. This one did not have as much character development as earlier ones, which I miss, but the action continues apace.

Book #45 A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab (400 pp.)

Some of you have loved this; some of you have been unimpressed. I think I fall right in the middle. I got into the story quickly and easily, but some of the violence starting at mid-book knocked me out of the story itself. I like Lila a lot, but I'm not sure I believe in her. However, I do believe Schwab is an author with potential who will only get better.


Book #46 Cast in Ruin by Michelle Sagara (457 pp.)
Book #47 Cast in Peril by Michelle Sagara (538 pp.)

Okay, I devoured these two and immediately ordered the remaining books in the series. This series reminds me of Seanan McGuire's October Daye series in the complexity of the world and the characters and the length of the (well-planned) story arc and the way I can't stop reading them. Can't tell you anything about the storylines that wouldn't be spoilers for earlier books--everything is tightly woven! Still enjoying them, that's all I can say.



Book #48 The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox (390 pp.)

This was well-constructed, creepily evocative, plucky girl heroine, atmospheric--and the story never pulled me in. I kept getting irritated at the main character, I guess. This sort of British, WWII evacuation story usually is a favorite of mine. Look at Elizabeth Goudge's Linnets and Valerians or C. S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I think maybe we got into the Lady's head too much. Foggidawn, who gives me many of my best reads, loved this, so don't refine too much on my reaction.

Book #49 Worlds Elsewhere: Journeys around Shakespeare's Globe by Andrew Dickson (437 pp.)

I received this book through the Early Reviewer program. Basically, the author became interested in how Shakespeare became assimilated into other cultures than his native British one and traveled around the world to look at this. I learned a lot about German Shakespeare theater early on, Shakespeare in frontier days in the US, and his influence on Bollywood in India, the prisoners on Robben Island in South Africa, and in the Chinese centers of Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. None of this is necessary reading, and the writing is fairly pedestrian, but it is interesting in its own way.



Book #50 The Jewel and her Lapidary by Fran Wilde (89 pp.)

This was very well-constructed, imaginative and original. It is also unrelentingly tragic. It could easily have been expanded into a full book-size story and perhaps the edges of the sorrow could have been softened. I simply can't really love a book that doesn't have some hope in it.

I also finished 2 library books before we left.



Book #51 Flamecaster by Cinda Williams Chima (535 pp.)

This book is the first of a new series set in the world of her Seven Realms series, dealing with the next generation still entangled in the politics of the first series. I loved that first series, much more than Chima's other series (The Heir Chronicles were much too teen angsty for me), and that predisposes me to like this one too. The end of the book leaves many strands up in the air, including some that just pop up in the final chapters, which is not unusual for a series but not satisfying when the next book isn't out yet.



Book #52 Stars Above by Marissa Meyers (369 pp.)

This is a book of short stories set in the Lunar Chronicles universe. Some are missing pieces of characters' pasts, some are incidental to those stories, and the final one wraps up a few loose ends. Definitely only for those who have read and enjoyed the previous books.



Book #53 Cast in Sorrow by Michelle Sagara (478 pp.)

The story here continues straight on from the previous book and is just as compelling. The next one is waiting for me at the library and I'll pick it up in the morning and dive right in again!

Book #54 Cast in Flame by Michelle Sagara (492 pp.)

Only one more to go before I hit the end of what she has currently written--oh no! With every book, it's now a continuing story, burrowing deeper into the structure of Kaylin's world. I continue to be drawn in and entertained.



Book #55 Cast in Honor by Michelle Sagara (511 pp.)

Now I've done it! I'm all caught up on this series and have to wait until October 25th to get my next fix on the Chronicles of Elantra. There is still lots of story to go and I'm hooked.

Book #56 Six and a Half Deadly Sins by Colin Cotterill (242 pp.)

Book 10 of the Dr. Siri series continues with our familiar cast of characters journeying to northern Laos to avert war and bring down a drug lord. Entertaining as usual. Only one more to go before I catch up with the author!



Book #57 Red Hot Fury by Kasey Mackenzie (348 pp.)

I bought the Kindle version of this for my book group, albeit reluctantly. And indeed, it was a rather run-of-the-mill urban fantasy/romance with few redeeming features. Entertaining overall, but there are SO many other books out there that have to be better.



Book #58 Date Night on Union Station by E. M. Foner (167 pp.)

This was a 99¢ Kindle offering that seemed to match my need for mindless amusement during the last week, so I picked it up. Our protagonist is the administrator for Earth on a space station in our solar system run by benevolent aliens, an AI species, who take undeveloped species under their wing. Her job description is not very specific, as she seeks to represent Earth positively. Her mom (back on Earth) and her best friend want to see her married (remember the old Ellen show? This seemed outdated to me, but it does provide the humor just like in that show) and she participates in a dating service run by the station's AI. This actually was quite fun even though the climax happened way too quickly and without sufficient justification, and I have picked up the second book in the series.



Book #59 The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams (783 pp.)

Peggy started it, it's all her fault! In a weak moment, unwilling to venture into new territory, I decided to revisit this classic epic fantasy trilogy for the first time in over 20 years. And it is still just as good! And I set aside a few quotes for you all.

"Books are a form of magic...because they span time and distance more surely than any spell or charm. What did so-and-so think about such-and-such two hundred years agone? Can you fly back through the ages and ask him?...If he wrote down his thoughts...you have but to open a book."

"A piece of writing IS a trap, and the best kind. A book, you see, is the only kind of trap that keeps its captive--which is knowledge--alive forever. The more books you have, the more traps, then the better chance of capturing some particular, elusive, shining beast--one that might otherwise die unseen." Dr. Morgenes trying to convince Simon why we should learn to read.

Book #60 Stone of Farewell by Tad Williams (749 pp.)

Book two of the "trilogy"--the final book was split in the paperback version into two books of 815 pages each! And the front cover of the third book cracked off today while I was reading it. Mass market paperbacks are not meant to be over 800 pages physically. This is a great, massive, well-written high fantasy epic, and the story continues.



Book #61 To Green Angel Tower: Part I by Tad Williams (815 pp.)

So, 815 more pages down and only 815 to go! Classic epic fantasy with great characters and lots of action.



Book #62 To Green Angel Tower: Part 2 by Tad Williams (815 pp.)

And so it ends. I woke up at 3 in the morning for unrelated reasons and finished this in the wee hours of the morning. After which I was able to get back to sleep. Aaaaaaah.

All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders (316 pp.)

I read the sample first chapter on the Tor website and was unimpressed. Then several 75ers read it and thought it was okay and it was getting some buzz, so I got on the wait list for it at the library, which was long. When I finally got it, I felt like I had to read it. And I am still unimpressed. I did not get drawn into the book at all. Flat characters. Horrible stereotypically drawn caricatures of parents. Lots of telling instead of showing. The same lack of emotional investment that I had with The Magicians. No depth. Meandering story. Wish now that I had stopped and gone on to other books. I love Tor and I love the Io9 website that this author runs, but this book just didn't work for me.



Book #64 The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin (471 pp.)

Jemisin has written two previous series, three books and a novella in The Inheritance Trilogy and the Dreamblood duology. Both have been highly original and complex fantasy worlds that are unlike anything else that has been written in the genre. With this book, Jemisin has done it again, and made a book written in second person both fascinating and tolerable! My only complaint is that for the first time, she has not wrapped up the story line within the book and we have to wait for the next book to continue the story. This book is a worthy nomination for the Hugo award for a novel.

Book #65 Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel (362 pp.)

I picked this up because Zettel is a decent science fiction author and the premise of a young lady enmeshed in Georgian era politics and trying to figure out whodunnit appealed. It was a light and entertaining read (NOT sf or fantasy) set in an era that Heyer made familiar for me, a YA adventure mystery.



Book #66 Fridays with the Wizards by Jessica Day George (234 pp.)

This is fourth in a children's fantasy series with a 12 year old female protagonist (at the time of this book). This is fun adventure, but this is probably my least favorite of the series--in some ways it feels like too little happens in contrast to the previous books. Still enjoyable, but only for those who truly love children's fantasy.



Book #67 Alien Night on Union Station by E. M. Foner

I enjoyed the first book of this ebook series, but this one just wasn't that engrossing, even as light humorous science fiction. I only paid 99¢ --I'm not going to pay $2.99 to continue the series.



Book #68 Penric and the Shaman by Lois McMaster Bujold (122 pp.)

Okay, all you people who have come to love Lois' storytelling with Cornelia and Miles. It's time to move on to her fantasy books. The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls are even better. And this novella is set in that world, the second featuring Penric. It just came out in ebook format. Even better than the first, but start at the beginning with the two books above.

Well, the reading has been going slowly, in part due to intensive Olympic coverage on TV, but at least I can bring my thread up to date.



Book #69 Space Hostages by Sophia McDougall (442 pp.)

This is the sequel to Mars Evacuees, read last year. These are children's books, but they hark back to classic science fiction tropes and so I would recommend them to lovers of that genre just for the fun of it. They are space adventure stories with a melodramatic twist.



Book #70 Alliance of Equals by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (355 pp.)

So, since I spent yesterday reading on the deck, I finished this one up by suppertime. At this point in the Korval saga (and since they now have left Liad, we probably ought to start referring to the series differently?), there is no such thing as a single storyline. We have three here, none of them connecting with Surebleak or Theo directly although definitely dealing with the consequences of their prior actions. Daav and the Uncle comprise one plot line. Shan and Priscilla and Shan's daughter Padi following trade routes in their ship, Dutiful Passage, is another. The third came up for the first time in the last book and follows Tolly and Haz as they head for the untutored AI Admiral Bentley that Theo woke as she passed through the Jemiatha space station in a prior book. All the plots advance, although none are fully resolved, the first two end at reasonable climaxes but the third is a moderate cliffhanger. If you are still reading about Korval by this point, the authors are preaching to the choir--you love these characters and their worlds and can't wait to see what happens next. If you haven't started, start at the beginning--either Agent of Change or Conflict of Honors.



Book #71 Imprudence by Gail Carriger (352 pp.)

This is the second book in the Custard Protocol series about Prudence, Alexia's daughter. More hijinks and snark ensue. Fun, entertaining, light.



Book #72 Wish Upon a Star by Olivia Goldsmith (488 pp.)

Suzanne recommended this on her thread as a good comfort read, not quite mindless chicklit, but fun, optimistic, wonderful descriptions of London, a modern fairytale absent any actual magic. Perfect for summer reading and a lift of spirits.



Book #73 Sylvester, or The Wicked Uncle by Georgette Heyer (391 pp.)

This reread is for Liz's Heyer of the month. I remember laughing out loud several times the first time I read it. Here's Liz's excellent summary.
http://www.librarything.com/topic/223609#5661665



Book #74 Family Plot by Sheri Cobb South (223 pp.)

Somebody recommended this Regency mystery series in the last month, but I can't figure out who. I put in a request at the library for the third in the series, since they didn't have the first two, and it came in this week. The author is (surprise! surprise!) a Georgette Heyer fan. This book takes place mostly outside London, in Scotland, and it doesn't have the array of eccentric side characters, at least not in depth, of the Heyer books, being more like her mysteries than her romances. Entertaining enough--I think my enjoyment suffered because I am not really a mystery fan, there has to be more.



Book #75 Unfair: The New Science of Criminal Injustice by Adam Benforado (289 pp.)

This is my nonfiction read for the Current Affairs Challenge for July, as well as an ER book I received late last year--so it's also a Book off My Shelves!

I gave this book 5 stars for its relevance, importance and readability. Since my field is cognitive psychology, there were studies that were familiar, but not only were these applied to a novel setting, there was a whole new field of research with which I had been unfamiliar. The result is compelling, highly readable and totally disturbing. I want to send copies to the chief of police, city attorney, lawyers, and judges and demand that they read it. Without being polemical, Benforado clearly identifies where the issues are and some possible initial steps to address them. Highly recommended.



Book #76 Seveneves by Neal Stephenson (867 pp.)

I won a copy of this book from the Early Reviewers program here on Library Thing, and I requested it because this year I want to read all of the Hugo nominees for Best Novel of 2015. Even if I don't love every book (and there are only five, after all), I want to see what led people to nominate it. Peggy (LizzieD) and Steve (swynn) recently read it, too. Peggy loved it. Steve enjoyed the first two sections but felt the last one was just not credible--it threw him out of the story.

This is epic science fiction. Like Olaf Stapledon's Last and First Men. Which is definitely a slog to read through but a classic in its scope. Stephenson's breadth of vision is staggering, his dedication to science is astounding, his attention to minutia is overwhelming...and that is both the strength and the weakness of this book. The characters are one-dimensional, walking through their roles. The action gets bogged down, time and again, in descriptions of the mechanics and science. But the epic scope of the vision is dazzling.



Book #77 Making the Rounds by Allan Weiss (202 pp.)

This is an ebook I received through the Early Reviewer program from Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, a Canadian firm. The author is a published short story writer as well as a professor of English and Humanities at York University. This book is a collection of short stories all featuring Eliezer ben-Avraham, a wizard and Kabbalist who has been doomed to wander the earth doing mitzvots (helping anyone who asks) as punishment for dabbling in forbidden arts. Eliezer is a character, an old man with arthritis, sleeping problems and overactive bladder who lets you know about all of them. The world (at least the part he traverses) is a desert world where he encounters some extremely odd communities with correspondingly odd requests. Blurbed as "humorous, philosophical and very weird", it certainly is all of the above. However, it never connected with me emotionally so that I really cared about the characters; it remained a clever intellectual exercise. A caveat--short stories are not my favorite format, so your mileage may differ.

For a Canadian author who wrote a collection of short stories billed as "a starcat and rabbi tale, with dragons" that does connect emotionally, find A Judgment of Dragons by Phyllis Gotlieb if you can (it was published in 1955, but is available used). Then go on and read the two sequel novels.



Book #78 A Judgment of Dragons by Phyllis Gotlieb (263 pp.)

This is a series of 4 novellas involving Prandra and Khreng as they travel to Solthree to obtain help from GalFed for their dying planet and race and then return to Ungruwarkh to implement that aid. Interesting aliens, fascinating species interactions. The next two books are full-blown novels, which allow for more depth and character development, but I love the duo right from the start.



Book #79 Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (329 pp.)

Another 75er was reading this for the first time, and I couldn't resist picking it up for a quick reread!

Book #80 The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: The Life and Times of Jacob Fugger by Greg Steinmetz (256 pp.)

This book was recommended by Suzanne (Chatterbox) on October 21 last year. I immediately put it on hold at the library, and it finally arrived at my branch at the end of July, the longest I've ever been on hold for a book. Was it worth it? Well, it is a very interesting story of perhaps the first untrammeled capitalist, who was the banker for the Hapsburgs and literally changed the face of history with his money. This is written by a former journalist, once a colleague of Suzanne's, and the writing is prosaic, with at times jarring comparisons to modern parallels, but straightforward reporting of the facts of life of this influential man.



Book #81 A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer (432 pp.)

So, having purchased all those Heyers, I could not resist doing a quick read of A Civil Contract, as it had been too long. Heyer, after inventing the regency romance and the standard tropes, then proceded to violate each of the tropes in turn in different books. This is one of those latter stories. I hated it in my teens, but it is one of my favorites now in terms of character depth.

Book #82 Full of Briars by Seanan McGuire (44 pp.)

This novelette falls between the last book and the new one coming out next month and is told from Quentin's point of view. Relatively uneventful for a Toby Daye book, but important backstory for the series. Not the place to start.



Book #83 Listen, Liberal by Thomas Frank (258 pp.)

This is a very depressing book. What Frank did to Republicans in What's the Matter with Kansas?, he's now done to Democrats. And I can't disagree with him at all, more's the pity.



Book #84 The Islands of Chaldea by Diana Wynne Jones (356 pp.)

This posthumously-published book was finished by Jones' sister after her death. She did a good job. This is a typical Jones fantasy, perhaps not as fleshed out at the end as she would have managed, but still quite enjoyable.



Book #85 Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer (432 pp.)

First of all, the frustration. This is only the first half of a complete story. Once I finally got into it (renewing it twice and finally plunging in 3 days before it was due--it is now 8 days overdue) I had to keep reading it--although I could not race through it, I had to do a chapter or two at a time because of its density. And then, to reach the "end" and realize that I could not finish the story yet--AAARRGGHH! So wait until the next book comes out in February and hope that it finishes the immediate story as there are four books intended in the series. (See, NOW I have that information.) It is a totally engrossing, fascinating, DIFFERENT future society and I strongly recommend it to everyone--once the story is complete, at least. Or go into it knowing you will have to wait. Unlike me. And that waiting will be painful, because the story is so powerful and different.

Book #86 Pieces and Players by Blue Balliett (306 pp.)

Balliett brings together all five of her characters from her previous 5 books in this latest book, once again investigating an art theft in Chicago. Told from the viewpoint of Tommy (introduced in the third book), the characters are dealing with entry into adolescence with its hormonal changes as well as introducing the two characters from the last two books to the original three. As always, her books are clever, full of puzzles and mysteries, and informative about art in a unique way.



Book #87 A Red-Rose Chain by Seanan McGuire (358 pp.)

I reread this, the 9th book in the October Daye series, because the 10th book is coming out next week, and it's a good thing because I remembered very little of it from when I read it last year. Still a heck of a story, though, a good read. I think, since this one went so quickly, that I'll also reread book 8 just to refresh myself on the details. (sounds like a good rationale, right?)



Book #88 The Winter Long by Seanan McGuire (358 pp.)

I went ahead and reread book 8 after rereading book 9 (above) just to refresh myself on all the little details. These books are so tightly and densely interwoven. As always, so well done and such good story. Now I'm just waiting for book 10 to appear on my doorstep.

Book #89 Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine (354 pp.)

This is book 2 of The Great Library series, in a world where the Alexandria library never burned down and the Library controls all knowledge in the world. It's a middle book which means I can't say a lot about it. I'll reserve judgment on the series until the next book is out.



Book #90 Once Broken Faith by Seanan McGuire (420 pp.)

Book 10 in the Toby Daye series just keeps bringing the action on! This world just keeps getting more complex and rich. I can't give any details without spoilering earlier books, but it continues at the same high level. And there's a novella from Arlen Windermere's pov at the end as a bonus!

Book #91 The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (512 pp.)

I liked the book even more on this reread, and knowing about the index of characters at the end of the book helped immensely!



Book #92 Goldenhand by Garth Nix (368 pp.)

This is book 5 of the Old Kingdom series by this Australian author, and it brings us back to the main story line following up with Lirael and Nick several months after the close of Abhorsen. It was great to be back in this world and see more of these characters, but this book seemed more of a YA to me than the first three three despite the danger involved and the addition of a new character.



Book #93 Crosstalk by Connie Willis (512 pp.)

One of the biggest criticisms by genre readers of Willis' books involving the Oxford time-traveling team is that cell phones don't exist in that future, enabling the missed communications that drive so many of the plots. I suspect that this is Willis' response to that criticism. The book is most like her Bellwether (a favorite of mine) in that it is set in a near future with only one small technological innovation, a procedure that enables couples with an emotional connection to sense each other's feelings directly. Set in communications corporate America, Briddey has to deal with what happens when there is too MUCH communication. Oh, and it's a romantic comedy as well as satire. Enjoy.



Book #94 Venom & Vanilla by Shannon Meyer (240 pp.)

Finally, after four months, Kindle First offered up a genre book (fantasy/science fiction) among its free monthly offerings, and so I took it. My bad. This is urban fantasy by a USA Today bestselling author from Vancouver. It's basically an action film with little character development and no down time at all, short (it will be a trilogy), and very little originality beyond the original premise. At least the author picked two fairly unusual Greek monsters. So--fast, lightweight, supernatural, action-packed--maybe a beach book that you didn't have to pay for?

Book #95 Spellwright by Blake Charlton (350 pp.)

I don't remember how this book popped up on my radar, but it doesn't appear to be from a conversation here. I think probably the release of the third and final book of the series was written up in one of my newsletters. This is epic fantasy with a really novel system of spell writing (shock!) and with an apprentice who is dyslexic. There is a huge amount of potential in the magic system and world-building and character--but it basically fell flat for me. I ended up skimming the last half of the book and won't go ahead and read the next two books which I have here from the library. I don't know if it was the writing style or that I don't really like the main character or that characters aren't really developed that much or that I didn't connect with any emotional underlay or the pacing...whatever. It's a pity, but when I went to look at the reviews before writing this, it's clear that I'm not the only one with this reaction and there are just too many good books to read to stick with so-so ones.



Book #96 False Colours by Georgette Heyer

This is a reread-along with Liz's (lyzard) once-a-month Heyer book, and a favorite. The characters of Lady Denville and Sir Bonamy are just so inimitable!



Book #97 Breath of Earth by Beth Cato (387 pp.)

I must have read about this book on a monthly list of newly published books, as I didn't have it tagged and don't recognize any other LTers with it in their library. This is a fantasy set in San Francisco in an alternate reality where the North allied with Japan at the time of the Civil War to bring it to a quick conclusion, creating the United Pacific. Ingrid, our POV, is a female with unrecognized geomancer abilities (because only men have magic, right), serving as secretary to one of the Wardens training young geomancers and keeping the San Andreas fault stable. But when the Auxiliary is bombed, killing everyone except Ingrid and her mentor, everything falls apart. How long can San Francisco be kept stable, who is responsible, and why is the military arresting them? This is fun and exciting and an entertaining story. Book one in a series, the story is not complete in this book, but it has a natural stopping point, not a cliffhanger. Definitely recommended.

Book #98 Four Roads Cross by Max Gladstone (414 pp.)

I really cannot recommend this fantasy series enough. Tough, smart, gritty but not dark, diverse, fantastical in a completely new form, totally entertaining...what can I say? I cannot sit down and read one of these through--they are so tightly plotted and complex that I read a couple of short chapters and then let it sit until the next day--but I can't not go back and find out what happens next. This one is particularly satisfying as we go back and find out what happens with Tara after her story in the first book of the sequence.



Book #99 The Goblin Reservation by Clifford D. Simak (160 pp.)

Ah, 160 pages, able to be read in an evening, blend of sf and fantasy that used to be called science fiction, one of my favorite classic sf authors (although Way Station will always be my favorite of his), this is what science fiction books were like in the 60s. I always feel like this gently humorous mystery is the ancestor of Connie Willis' time travel books. Peter Maxwell, Professor at the College of Supernatural Phenomena on Wisconsin Campus, comes home from a trip where he ended up on the wrong planet and several weeks late to find out that he had returned three weeks previously and subsequently been murdered. Reconnecting with his friends, the Neanderthal Alley Oop and Ghost, and meeting up with the young lady who is a historian in the Time Department of the college and her bio-mech companion, Sylvester the sabertooth tiger, the latter two now living in his (used-to-be) apartment, Peter is busy trying to broker a deal for the aliens who diverted him to their planet as well as mediate between the goblins and the trolls on the Supernatural Reservation and solve not only his own murder but also what the Artifact is and why it is so important to negotiations with the Wheelers. AND wraps it up in 160 pages. This is a lovely, satisfying story even now, 48 years after it was written.

But it does show its age on page 23, when it refers to "the trees, great and ancient elms that had stood since time forgotten, the sturdy sentinels of many generations" on the Wisconsin campus. Anybody remember those stately elms? Used to be one just outside my bedroom window as a child. And then they were all wiped out in just a few years--so sad.

Book #100 Poison or Protect by Gail Carriger (190 pp.)

This is a straight-up R-rated romance featuring a side character from the Etiquette & Espionage series. Being a novella, it has a rather limited plot. Recommended only for Carriger devotees.



Book #101 Cast in Flight by Michelle Sagara (544 pp.)

Many of you may remember that I gobbled my way through the first 11 books of Sagara's Elantra series earlier this year. The 12th book was released at midnight EDT yesterday, which means it showed up on my Kindle at 9 local time, and I got through a third of the book then, and finished it last night. It continues straight on from where Cast in Honor let up and resolves one of the plot lines initiated there--but this is a continuing story and there are plenty left to follow up on! Can't say anything specific without spoilers for prior books, but this is just fun entertaining fantasy.

Book #102 Psion by Joan D. Vinge (346 pp.)

This used to be a favorite back in the 80s, and I picked it up for a fill-in read before all my recent acquisitions. But I think it is showing its age, thematically. Vinge is a good writer--her The Summer Queen is deservedly a classic--but this take on telepaths now feels out-dated.



Book #103 Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas (469 pp.)

This is not so much a fairytale retelling as a story about characters attempting to escape the structure of Faery. As such, it alludes to multiple fairy tales as the main characters fight for independence in lieu of being forced into a fairy-tale ending. I don't know that it succeeds as a compelling story, but I think that I would have loved it as a middle-grader!

Judy, the most engrossing and creative fairy tale retelling I have encountered this year is Toads and Diamonds, so look for that if you haven't read it.



Book #104 Penric's Mission by Lois McMaster Bujold (145 pp.)

Bujold published the third e-novella of Penric's adventures this week. I would recommend starting books in the Five Gods World with The Curse of Chalion in order to have both a deeper and broader introduction into the way this world works, but you can read these anytime after that book. This book was less satisfying to me than the prior two; it seemed unfinished, but incomplete Bujold is better than complete almost anyone else.

Book #105 The Battle of the Sexes in Science Fiction by Justine Larbalestier (295 pp.)

LT is not loading the cover--I'll have to add it later. This is a scholarly work--if not a dissertation, then a post-doctoral publication, which made it rather slow to get into but the subject matter was so interesting, it pulled me in midway just for the historical info. Dry, though.



Book #106 What Angels Fear by C. S. Harris (341 pp.)

This is a historical mystery set in (almost) Regency England. Viscount St. Cyr is implicated in a vicious murder, and his only hope is to discover who actually committed the murder. A good mystery, good characters, and it was fun recognizing the historical detail I know so well from Heyer's books.

Book #107 Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (396 pp.)

I've been working on this reread for a while, in preparation for reading the other two books of the trilogy. Once I passed the linchpin event in the story, it went much more quickly and I moved it from my bathtub book to my nightstand book. I'm a third of the way into the next book. I actually had pretty much forgotten everything after the above-mentioned event, so it really was necessary to reread. I still thought this was excellent science fiction.



Book #108 The Copper Promise by Jen Williams (446 pp.)

This promised to be a modern take on classic sword & sorcery fantasy, with bantering sell-swords with a past taking on gods in the forms of monsters. This had plenty of action, lots and lots of violence, not so much humor, and not very developed characters. A disappointment for me (it was one of my Thingaversary purchases), but others have liked it.



Book #109 Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews (235 pp.)

I read the very first Ilona Andrews paranormal fantasy and was not impressed enough to continue the series. She's continued that series and written another over the years soon. She now has started this third series, and when it was on sale for 99¢, I thought I'd see if she'd improved over the years. The writing is okay, the plot is okay, but it's very typical urban fantasy with the mandatory romantic triangle, although that is fairly undeveloped in this first book at least. Nothing special imho.

Book #110 Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie (356 pp.)

And see, now that I finally powered through the reread of the first book, I zoomed through the second and enjoyed it tremendously! On to the third book immediately...



Book #111 Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie (333 pp.)

Again, a very quick read once I finally got the reread of the first book over. I still think this is an outstanding science fiction series. The first book well deserved its Hugo and Nebula awards with its world-building and set up. I personally liked the second book best, where we got most into human dynamics, but this third book wrapped up the story in satisfying form. And the last two books actually count as Books Off The Shelf, finally boosting those numbers up a wee bit.

Book #112 The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey (433 pp.)

We mentioned this book earlier this year, and then Peggy is read McKinley's Beauty, and I had to go and do a reread of this imaginative retelling of Beauty and the Beast, back when Lackey was at the height of her story-telling.

November Summary

Books read: 11
Pages read: 3787
Average pages per book: 344
Average pages per day: 126

Format:
Kindle - 3
Hardback - 3
Trade paperback - 5

Source:
Library - 2
Bought this month - 4
Off my shelves - 3 new reads, 2 rereads

Genre:
Science Fiction - 3
Fantasy - 5
Nonfiction - 1
Mystery - 2

Author gender: 100% female

Country of origin:
Australian - 1
England - 1
Author brought up in England but now living in US - 2
US - 7

All but four published between 2013 and 2016.
Reread of The Fire Rose published 1995
Nonfiction book published 2001
The two St. Cyr mysteries published in 2005 and 2006

Books acquired:

Simon Leach's Pottery Handbook bought with birthday gift card from sister.
How to Manage your Home without Losing Your Mind bought in same order

And 6 Kindle books, 4 for 99¢, 1 for 1.99, and the new Bujold for $3.99

No books out the door, I fear. But there will be some this month!

Book #113 When Gods Die by C. S. Harris (338 pp.)

This is the second mystery featuring Sebastian St. Cyr, a Regency era young nobleman living in London in interesting times. Interesting characters, interesting plots--recommended!



Book #114 How to Manage your Home Without Losing Your Mind: Dealing with Your House's Dirty Little Secrets by Dana K. White (223 pp.)

I have a whole shelf of books on cleaning and organization. I often pick up one or two things I use from each, but my house is still cluttered (more cluttered than disorganized in most areas, with paper being the biggest exception). This lady is the first to tell me why. It is because, like her, I am a slob (she writes a blog called "A Slob Comes Clean"--I don't know anything about it. I picked up the book because I saw it on Amazon.)

Like Dana, I love PROJECTS. Even as a child, I would let my bedroom devolve into total chaos to the point where diving in and bringing order to chaos was a real project and I loved it. Project lovers dive in, give it all their attention, finish it, admire it, and then step away and move on. I created things of beauty. But housework/home management is NOT a project...it has no end. It consists of doing the boring stuff, not the project stuff. She (and I) have Slob Vision; we don't see incremental mess. So the condition goes from beautiful at the end of the project, blindness to the incremental mess, and then the whole house is a mess again. You know what makes the difference? Doing the dishes.

Doing the dishes every night is now a non-negotiable task. You don't have to think about are you going to do it, don't have to allocate decision-making resources to it, you just do it, EVERY night. And after that habit is set, you add sweeping the floor EVERY NIGHT. And so on.

Clutter thresholds differ. The concept of your house as a container, like a bookshelf or a memory box is a container. If stuff doesn't fit, you prioritize and get rid of the most disposable. Keep what you want as long as it fits in the container. But respect those boundaries--don't keep more than will fit in the container, be it shelf, box, closet or house.

Anyhow, very readable, I think it is closer to my MO than any other such books I have, and I have been doing my dishes!



Book #115 Simon Leach's Pottery Handbook by Simon Leach (240 pp.)

This was a birthday book from my sister. I haven't viewed the two DVDs that come with the book yet, but I have read the book and all its pictures. A good review of what I do know, some good ideas for construction, and lots of info on glazes and firing that I have no idea about because the studio takes care of all of that for me!

Book #116 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J. K. Rowling etal. (327 pp.)

Some of you may recall that I brought my sister's copy back with me at the end of September--and now I have finally read it. I think I was afraid of being disappointed. But I wasn't!! I liked it and think it would be great to see the production.

I followed up on a post in Fantasy Fans (Favorite book no one has ever heard of) in response to our Nina (humouress) posting the first book of the trilogy as her nominee. I bought all three revised ebooks and a prequel that is new. And ever since, I've been compulsively reading through them. I did not do a side by side comparison of the revisions, although I did do so with the last few chapters of the last book, and there is a major change in the resolution that I like. This has been one of my favorite epic fantasy trilogies from the 80s, maybe not quite as good as Tad Williams Sorrow, Memory and Thorn trilogy, but close. It was fun to revisit.



Book # 117 The Ring of Allaire by Susan Dexter (447 pp.)



Book 118 The Sword of Calandra by Susan Dexter (448 pp.)



Book #119 The Mountains of Channadran by Susan Dexter (384 pp.)



Book #120 The Wandering Duke by Susan Dexter (422 pp.)

This one is the prequel and I actually read it first, before rereading the trilogy. This takes place after the original Warhorse of Esdragon trilogy (written after the trilogy above but taking place long before, like centuries long before) and featuring Valadan, the horse who is a key figure in all the books. Still centuries before the trilogy above, this book explains how the dread menace of that series, Nimir, came into being. As with many prequels, the story itself is not that outstanding, but I liked the characters.

Book #121 A Season of Spells by Sylvia Izzo Hunter (451 pp.)

This is the third and final book of Hunter's Noctis Magicae series, set in an alternate history of Britain in a time period similar to the Regency period (circa 1815). I have really enjoyed the well-defined characters and the original elements of this fantasy, and it's been quite an adventure. While I'm sad it's over, it is nice to have a complete story and I can always revisit it. The author is a Canadian, and this series is her debut.



Book #122 Royal Blood by Rhys Bowen (305 pp.)

This is the fourth in a series set in the 20s and 30s in England. Georgie is a cousin of the royal family (43rd in line for the throne) but she doesn't have any money and her sister-in-law makes living in her ancestral home unpleasant. After inadvertently solving a mystery in the first book, the queen now calls on Georgie to fill in on little duties for her, and somehow a dead body ends up being involved. These are silly but also funny and charming and very much set in the historical time--initially recommended by Judy (deltaqueen).



Book #123 Why Mermaids Sing by C. S. Harris (342 pp.)

This was one I had to stay up until I finished. Oh my, what a lot happened at the end. Third in the Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries.



Book #124 Summon the Keeper by Tanya Huff (331 pp.)

This is a reread I picked up off my shelves after reading Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews a bit ago. Also urban fantasy, 18 years old now, some of the elements were similar, but I recalled that Huff had done it much better. And indeed, this reread confirmed that this first book of the trilogy, at least, is much better, funnier, and entertaining.

Book #125 The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman (330 pp.)

Very similar in tone to Rachel Caine's The Great Library series (Ink and Bone) in general concept, the Library is in this series much less detailed and the alternate world more so, but in essence this is an adventure tale with homages both to Sherlock Holmes and the Fae. I found it fun, light reading.



Book #126 Christmas Magic edited by David G. Hartwell (495 pp.)

I picked this book of short stories up at Mysterious Galaxy when I was there on the 6th of this month to buy A Season of Spells because I love to do Christmas reading in the season. I might not have done so had I realized that the book was a reprint, originally issued in 1994, but I still enjoyed many of the stories, only two of which I remembered ever reading before. My favorite was The Nutcracker Coup by Janet Kagan. However, if you ever read this book (it was my bathtub book, so I read a story or two a day), please, please, please skip The Wild Wood by Mildred Clingerman. I don't care if it does take place at Christmas time, a horror story involving violation with no positive resolution does NOT belong in a book of Christmas stories.



Book #127 Red Hart Magic by Andre Norton (192 pp.)

I forgot to record that I read this on my Kindle while we were in Las Vegas--I wanted something short and light. I have a fondness for Norton's Magic Sequence books, children's books where modern kids learn how to deal with modern problems through fantasy adventures. This is one I had just picked up for free on my Kindle, so it was right there, available.

Book #127 Where Serpents Sleep by C. S. Harris (341 pp.)

This is book #4 in the St. Cyr mystery series set in Regency London. It continues excellent.



Book #128 A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (152

The first of my Christmas Swap treasure trove, this children's book is a Newbery Award winner (2002) and is all about pottery in medieval Korea! I enjoyed it a lot and thanks again to Nancy (nrmay).



Book #129 The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen (285 pp.)

Another sweet magical tale by the author of Garden Spells, very enjoyable--and it has the cake recipes at the end of the book!! I'm definitely going to make them.

Book #130 What Remains of Heaven by C. S. Harris (324 pp.)

I've taken to ordering these from the library 2 at a time, but may end up ordering all the rest at once. No, I can't do that. I just ordered the next two. But the stories have me on the edge of my seat for the next part. Still excellent mysteries set in Regency England. Will the revelations never cease?



Book #131 Caravan by Dorothy Gilman (248 pp.)

Dorothy Gilman is a popular author of the now somewhat dated Mrs. Pollifax series as well as the charming Clairvoyant Countess books. This is a stand-alone romantic adventure included in my 75 Book Christmas Swap package (thank you, Nancy!). Written 25 years ago, the ambiance seems older but it was quick and entertaining read.

I failed to reach any of my goals for 2016. My first goal was to read 150 books and 50000 pages. Instead, I read 131 books and 46,662 pages. Historically, this is the third time and the second lowest total. I did not acquire fewer books than last year, I did not get rid of more books than I acquired, and I failed even more miserably than the previous year in reading books off my own shelves. Looking back, it is interesting how my data tracking got more fine-tuned over the years. The numbers are, in order, books read, pages read, books off my own shelves read, books acquired and books out the door.

2008: 158
2009: 114
2010: 140, 41012, x, 112, x
2011: 170, 54874, 26, 137, x
2012: 171, 55180, 16, 79, 68
2013: 161, 54244, 40, 88, 55
2014: 172, 58563, 22, 88, 40
2015: 152, 51842, 11, 70, 79

2016: 131, 46662, 8, 84, 42

Final Figures for 2016

Books read: 131
Pages read: 46662
Average pages per book: 356
Average pages per day: 127

Format:
Kindle - 40
Hardback - 42
Trade paperback - 30
Mass market paperback - 19

Source:
Library - 40
Books acquired this year: 71
Off my shelves - 8 new books, 20 rereads

Genre:
Science Fiction - 17
Fantasy - 72
Children’s - 8
Nonfiction - 15
Romance - 6
Mystery - 9

Author gender: 101 female, 30 male

Country of origin:
Australian - 2
Canadian - 13
England - 18
Author brought up in England but now living in US - 5
Israel - 1
US - 92

Books acquired: 84
Books read of those acquired this year: 52
Kindle - 37
Physical books - 47

Average cost per book - $6.50
Total spent on books - $546.76

Books out the door: 42
8 via PaperBackSwap, 7 as gifts, 26 sent to Richard’s library, 1 to my school library

You can find my new thread at
http://www.librarything.com/topic/245001
See you there in 2017!

I'm laughing over here because I, too, failed miserably at all of my reading goals last year. Hopefully next year will be better for us both!

It's not a failure if you enjoyed it!