Ronincats Returns to Read 100 in 2017

Goals for 2017:

I will continue my goals to read 150 books and 50,000 pages, as I have met that goal 6 out of 9 years, but amount is really not a focus.

Previous goals have included limiting the number of books acquired to fewer than the previous year and to de-acquisition as many books as acquired. This year I will set a goal of limiting acquired books to 85 and to send at least 50 books on their way out of my house.

I have done very poorly on my goal of reading unread books already on my shelves, but I really want to highlight that this year, and so I’m setting an all-time high goal of 50 books. I did read 40 such books in 2013, but only 41 in the last three years combined.

Best new books of 2016:

The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin
Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer

These are both actually the first book of a new series. Both are dense and startling original fantasy.

Best New (to me) Series:

Elantra by Michelle Sagara
St. Cyr by C. S. Harris
Noctis Magicae by Sylvia Izzo Hunter

Best Continuation of Series:

Once Broken Faith by Seanan McGuire
Four Roads Cross by Max Gladstone
In the Labyrinth of Drakes by Marie Brennan

Best Re-read of the Year:

Memory, Sorrow and Thorn by Tad Williams

Best Nonfiction:

Unfair: The New Science of Criminal Injustice by Adam Benforado

My end of year summary for 2016 can be found here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/239304#5858903

This is my meta-summary only--many more fascinating facts in the whole message.

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

Book #1 The Kindred of Darkness by Barbara Hambly (248 pp.)

Hambly walks the line of about as dark as I can get, and this is no exception. But the first book in this series is one of the best vampire books ever, and the characters are exceptional. That said, this is one more case of "can we go up against the vampires and win?"

Edited to clarify: Those Who Hunt the Night is the first book in the series. This is book #5.



Book #2 Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander (42 pp.)

I bought this when it came out because 1) I'm a completist, 2) it benefitted a worthy charity, and 3) I was working at an elementary school and having it to display increased my cred. I skimmed it at best. Now, having just seen and enjoyed the movie, I pulled the book and read it cover to cover.

Book #3 The Story of Charlotte's Web: E. B. White's Eccentric Life in Nature and the Birth of an American Classic by Michael Sims (307 pp.)

Richard and Brenda put this book on my wishlist in 2011. I put in a request at PaperBackSwap.com and got a nice hardback copy in 2015. I started it and stalled out about 40% in. I intended to pick it back up and read it for the nonfiction biography challenge LAST January, but it didn't happen. Now, with my push to clear books off my shelves (and this has been sitting on my nightstand for the last 16 months), I finished it!

I loved Charlotte's Web as a child, as most of us did, which is why this book seemed so intriguing. It is a biography and we don't get to the CW part until 3/4 of the way through the book. I feel like Sims went into much more detail than necessary in the earlier parts of White's life, with much descriptive language that was rich and flowery, supposedly mirroring White's mind but to me just slowing down the flow. I don't regret having read it, and there were some neat tidbits in the description of the publishing world in New York.
"...Morley had become, since the publication of his quirky novels Parnassus on Wheels and The Haunted Bookshop, around the end of the World War, one of the more versatile men of letters in the United States. Poet, journalist, essayist, novelist, and editor, Morley had been one of the first judges of the now decade-old Book of the Month Club and had just been asked to edit the eleventh edition of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations."

Many of us heard about Morley's books here on LT and have read them.



Book #4 Starship's Mage by Glynn Stewart (299 pp.)

I picked this ebook up a year ago for free. It's straight-forward adventure science fiction in an interesting but not very different future universe. It may originally have been serialized as occasionally it reprises information that may have been in earlier episodes. Not much character depth but lots of excitement as our spaceship crew avoids the bad guys time after time until a satisfying denouement. Reviewers on Ammy said it borrows a lot from Firefly, but having never seen Firefly it just seems like typical space adventure to me. It was entertaining light reading. There are three more books but, at $4.99 each, I don't know that I will invest. I'll probably go look at the reviews and if it seems the author (Canadian) is getting better, I might try them.

Hi Roni!

My thread is here too. (100 in 2017)

It's always fun to see your book choices! I get many fantasy BBs from you.

Happy reading!

Welcome back!

Thanks, Nancy and Jenn.



Book #5 The Heart of What Was Lost: A Novel of Osten Ard by Tad Williams (222 pp.)

This became my first acquisition of 2017 when the pre-order was downloaded onto my Kindle Monday night (midnight EST of the 3rd) on its publication date. Following directly on the heels of Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, this novella follows Duke Isgrimnur's pursuit of the remaining Norns to their city of Nakkiga. In a break from the previous books, however, we have an empathic POV not only with the humans but also the Norns, giving a balance that did not exist in the trilogy. Note that Simon and Miriamele and the rest down at the Hayholt are mentioned in passing but not present. It was very interesting and good reading, but also a lot of money for such a short book. On the other hand, Williams gave us so many pages for the money in the earlier books...I'm looking forward to the first book in the new series, The Last King of Osten Ard, coming out later this year.

Book #6 I Shot the Buddha by Colin Cotterill (342 pp.)

*happy sigh* Oh, how I love a Dr. Siri mystery!
*sob* Oh, I've caught up with the series!

This is the eleventh Dr. Siri book. And the most recent out in print, so now I have to wait for the author to produce more.

This series of mysteries, set in 1970s Laos and featuring Dr. Siri and (now) his crew of characters accumulated over the series is totally charming despite violence and danger. Highly recommended to all, start at the beginning.

This is my first library book of the year. I had to read it now because it is due and someone is waiting for it so I can't renew it.

Book #7 Linesman by S. K. Dunstall (372 pp.)

I enjoyed this book. It's straightforward space opera with some interesting concepts regarding the power underlying space flight and with a sympathetic protagonist. I found it entertaining. It's written by two sisters in Australia, and I will go ahead and read the next two books out in the series. I was surprised by the negative comments in the LT reviews. I didn't find it overly complex in the number of characters, I didn't find the political machinations at all unrealistic other than Michelle being a bit of a Mary Sue, and I didn't dislike all the characters. Russo, yes, you are meant to dislike him. I enjoyed the ride.

Book #8 The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman (361 pp.)

I read the first in this series late last year. It's a fantasy adventure, multiple worlds and a Library that seeks to stabilize worlds between order and chaos by collecting books from those worlds. Irene is a junior Librarian, and in this book her apprentice is kidnapped and taken to a world deep in Chaos. This is a fun, light adventure story, with homages to Sherlock Holmes and the author is a Bujold fan.



Book #9 Everything is Miscellaneous by David Weinberger (260 pp.)

This book has been on my shelves since probably 2010 at least, and with a 2007 copyright I thought it might have been quite dated. While I'm sure some of the references to specific companies and websites may be, this is still totally relevant (and even gives LibraryThing a shoutout). I don't remember who on LT put this on my horizon or how I ended up acquiring it, but I'm certainly glad to have read it and found it very interesting as the author illustrates moving beyond first order organization (eg, physical storage/arrangement of things) and second order organization (e.g., card catalogs, indices) to the miscellaneous nature of digital information (can be stored anywhere, not organized until you call it up) and the metadata that creates meaning rather than just knowledge. Fascinating.

Good luck with 2017's challenge! Although it looks as if you're doing brilliantly already.

Glad you found me, Tanya.



Book #12 Dawn by Octavia Butler ( 256 pp.)

This is the first book of the Xenogenesis Trilogy, which I have owned for years and never read until the Octavia Butler challenge this month provoked me into pulling it off my shelf. It is perhaps the most science-fictional of her books and explores themes of the nature of humanity, sexuality and aggression. Humanity has destroyed itself and an alien race has rescued the few who have survived. What price survival? As always with Butler, thought-provoking and disturbing.



Book #13 Spoiled Harvest by Leah Cutter (222 pp.)

I received an ebook edition of this book as my October 2016 Early Reviewers win. This is the third in an urban fantasy series featuring Cassie (aka "A Kickass Cassie Novel"), a lesbian postcog set in a familiar world except for the presence of the Blessed (those with paranormal skills) and a corporation bent on finding and controlling them. In each of the prior books, Cassie and/or her colleagues have saved the world by intervening with gods who appear to their abilities. This book continues the pattern. This is a perfectly acceptable urban fantasy to read for light entertainment. I think the author is judging too many plot lines, only one of which is resolved in this book, and that the character development is minimal and somewhat stereotypical.

Book #14 Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire (352 pp.)

This was a reread for a book discussion on Tuesday. I love McGuire's writing. She IS smart and snarky and imaginative--all the things Cutter was trying to be in the previous book but not as successful at. This is the New World, where humanity unknowingly exists with the nonhuman Incryptids, and the Price family "curates" them. That is, the Price family has taken the responsibility in North America for managing human and Incryptid populations so that they live in harmony (i.e., basically humans are clueless and incryptids are supported and protected as long as they don't make humans prey.). But over in the Old World, the Covenant has been focused on wiping out all incryptids for centuries. The Price family revolted and disappeared for dead from their purvieu a century or so ago, but are considered traitors to humanity. So when a Covenant man shows up in NY, where Verity is policing the incryptids AND trying to make a career as a competitive dancer, and a snake cult starts sacrificing virgins trying to wake a dragon sleeping beneath Manhattan, that's just the start. Are we having fun yet?

Book #15 Where Shadows Dance by C. S. Harris (342 pp.)

This is the 6th book in the Regency-era London-based St. Cyr mystery series. The action continues apace, as does the emotional intrigue. And I love that the linchpin of this mystery involves a little-known historical fact! Harris embeds her story in very real and readable history. I have the next book here in my hot little hand.



Book #16 When Maidens Mourn by C. S. Harris (341 pp.)

I stayed up late last night to finish this next segment of the story, starting 4 days after the last book ended. I'm halfway through the existing series now, and am already mourning the point where I reach the end. So good!

Book #17 Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond (420 pp.)

Extremely powerful picture of how substandard poor housing and evictions maintain the cycle of poverty, especially for black women with children. The methodology was outstanding, the information vital to solving inner city problems. As a landlord myself (full disclosure: the granny flat on the alley allowed me to purchase and keep my house. The fact that we are in the inner city means I have had experience dealing with low-income tenants.) this was both painful and eye-opening for me.



Book #18 The Creeping Shadow by Jonathan Stroud (445 pp.)

Stephen reminded me recently that I hadn't read the fourth of the Lockwood & Co. series, which came out in September, so I requested it from the library. Stroud writes (nominally for children) in his usual wickedly humorous style of an England where ghosts are read and dangerous and can only be seen by children, who are thus the only ones who can fight them. I thought this book was better than the third and back on track with some big questions coming forward about the state of things in England! Recommended but start at the beginning.

January Summary:

Books read: 18
Pages read: 5250
Pages/book: 292
Pages/day: 169

New to me books: 17

Reread: 1
Library: 5
Books off my Shelves: 9
Books bought and read this month: 3

Genre: Science fiction-4, fantasy-6, children's-2, nonfiction-3, mystery-3

Author gender: female-10, male-8

Author nationality: US-11, England-4, Wales-1, Canada-1, Australia-1

Books Acquired: 10

Format: Kindle-6, Hardback-2, Trade Paper-2

Genre: science fiction-1, fantasy-5, nonfiction-4

Books completed in same month-3

Amount spent: $29.94
Average price per book: $2.99

Books out the door: 7 (2 pending)

>16 ronincats: Evicted has been on my tbr list for awhile now - time to move it further up! Great review.

>18 jfetting: Thanks, Jenn.



Book #21 Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett (265 pp.)

This reread was for the British Author Challenge for February but also counts for the reread challenge. I have long preferred the Death and Watch strands of Discworld to the Witches, with the Wizards being the least favorite, and so it has been a long, long time since I read this first book involving Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrit. I enjoyed getting reacquainted with it. Lots of broad and subtle humor interwoven--a good grounding in Shakespeare and in early American comics (Marx Brothers, Laurel & Hardy, Chaplin) . Lots of twists and turns, made more fun for me because I remembered the main one.

Adding Evicted to the wishlist.

Book #22 Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt (360 pp.)

I bought this book in 2011, the year it came out, when Linda (Whisper1) absolutely raved about it, and it has sat upon my tbr shelves ever since. This spring I am prioritizing reading the children's books on my shelves as my favorite school librarian will be retiring and I want to get these to her before she does.

I loved this book. Take baseball, then art, an abusive family situation, the Vietnam war, and middle school and layer them together into an intricate symphony underlying one of the most distinctive voices in children's literature, and you have Okay for Now. Wonderful characters, hilarious situations, tragic situations, laugh out loud one liners. The structure is amazing. I don't know how this book was not also at least a Newberry Honor book like two previous ones by the author, if not the winner.

With all my love, it's not perfect. I have two minor quibbles, both at the very end of the book. I thought the book could have ended quite well with Lil's illness not being so serious and the level of commitment not being so strong--they are only 8th graders after all. And while I could believe in the dad finally stepping up, his character does not inspire confidence in any long term reformation without a lot of support. But, as others have said, it is a middle school book after all, albeit one not afraid to plumb a lot of pain and suffering.

Regardless, it's a hell of a book. Go read it for yourself.



Book #23 Juana & Lucas by Juana Medina (90 pp.)

This book was mentioned by foggi, I believe, and seemed a perfect fit for my old school's library, so I bought the book to donate to it. It is about a girl in Bogota, Colombia, and her struggle to learn English, with lots of Spanish words sprinkled in, so thought it would be perfect for our Spanish-speaking population.

Book #24 Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen (447 pp.)

Benita, you were right in your warbling. It took me a bit to get into it, but this is a great YA fantasy story of the same quality as Rae Carson's books. Reminds me a bit of The Goblin King but with more action and less politicking. I really like the characters and the world-building and have the next two on order from the library.



Book #25 Why Kings Confess by C. S. Harris (340 pp.)

The next in the St. Cyr Regency-era mystery series continues the story of Devlin and his involvement with mysterious deaths in London in the early 1800s. Still good, still engrossing.



Book #26 The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill (388 pp.)

This children's fantasy just won the Newbery Award for 2016. I liked it better than her Iron Hearted Violet, which had all the right elements but not the soul for me. I suspect I will like this much better as a reread, as I found it somewhat dense and complex and had to take my time with it. It is very well-constructed with lots of elements weaving together.

And my January ER win, City of Miracles, arrived in the mail yesterday.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon sounds great ronincats, thanks for the recommendation !

Hello Roni. My first visit to your thread. **hangs head** I am pretty fascinated by it and by the different books you read. I read very little SciFi/Fantasy but got a couple of awesome recs from you. :-)

And regards your post on my thread about The Bird in the Tree by Elizabeth Goudge:
I simply am still reading it, loving and savoring every moment. It doesn't seem dated to me at all, just written about an earlier era. I always love Goudge and find her writing pulls me right in to her stories, always. I wish I could find more writers that effect me like she does. The first of her books that I read was The Child From the Sea back in the early 60s and have read her ever since. Most of her works I have read multiple times and never tire of.

>23 bryanoz: You are welcome, Bryan!

>24 rainpebble: Oh, good! I love Elizabeth Goudge too, and deeply regret that I lent someone my Henrietta trilogy and never got it back (and can't remember who it was!). I misinterpreted and thought you had only given the book one star.

Book #27 What Darkness Brings by C. S. Harris (353 pp.)

Since I (*horrified shudder*) read the next book of this series out of order by mistake, I had to hurry up and correct my error. Peggy thought this one rather flat and, although it was still good, I agree in that we get relatively little development of the personal plot line to balance the core mystery. Only one major development along that line, and none of the consequences. I would rate Why Kings Confess as a much more interesting book. (Only three more to go!)



Book #28 The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin (106 pp.)

This is my February nonfiction read for the President Obama Reading List challenge (at http://www.librarything.com/topic/247375). Two relatively shore writings by Baldwin, written in the early 60s. Looking at them, one is able to both see how much has changed--and how little has! Very good!

Book #29 Wanderings: Chaim Potok's History of the Jews by Chaim Potok (pp. 431)

This is an OLD book off my book shelf, over 10 years old, given me by a friend who is now deceased. It is huge, weighing over 4 pounds, with the most gorgeous illustration plates, many in full color. It starts with Abraham, goes through the Jewish Bible and then all the way up to mid-twentieth century. Fascinating perspective and very readable, but did I mention BIG?



Book #30 Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (243 pp.)

I picked up this Coretta Scott King Award winner after Linda (Whisper1) warbled about it on her thread a number of years ago. Set in the Depression years, this story of an orphaned black boy of 12 looking for his unknown father is touching and, despite its pathos, funny.

And that is two more BOMBs out of the way. That's 12 for the year so far, nearly a quarter of the way to my goal. I'm prioritizing some of my children's books like the one above, as I mentioned before, as I want to donate them to my previous school's library before my friend retires as librarian at the end of the school year.

Book #31 Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage (312 pp.)

This delightful Newbery Honor book was recommended to me by David (tapestry100) and given to me by Linda (whisper9) when she was my LT Santa. It's a middle school mystery set in rural North Carolina with a scrappy heroine and a full cast of characters in the other sense of the word. Thank you so much, Linda.



Book #32 The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (467 pp.)

And this book certainly qualifies for the SFFKIT February Category Challenge: Space Flight. Lots of people have loved this book and I can certainly see why. Not a fast-paced action adventure as some science fiction is, this uses the structure of a spaceship voyage during a slow year in real time to allow us to learn about and identify with a diverse crew of characters and their universe, so that when push does come to shove, we are deeply invested. Looking forward to the next book.



Book #33 Mortal Fire by Elizabeth Knox (436 pp.)

This is a YA fantasy book set in the Southland of Knox's Dreamhunter duet but much later, circa 1959. I found it more accessible and equally original in concept. Its tone reminded me of Alan Garner's Owl Service, rather eerie and yet down to earth at the same time. The pace is definitely slower than many modern YA books, also evocative of Garner's time, but there are several twists and turns as well as a lot of world-building going on.

Book #34 Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood (374 pp.)

Someone, maybe Morphy, recommended this middle-school fantasy to my attention and I ordered it from the library. It's light and fun, dealing with the insecurities of a 12 year old girl feeling unappreciated in her family, dealing with a crisis with parents absent, and throw in a batch of cooking magic and an evil aunt. I haven't decided if I want to go on to the other two books, especially with all the Nebula nominees on my list right now.

I also learned I won another middle school fantasy from Early Reviewers today. The protagonist is a young teen boy who falls into magicland but is appalled by the level of technology and the physical fitness needed to swing swords. I'll look forward to getting it.

February Summary Statistics

Books read: 16
Pages read: 5062
Average pages per book: 316
Average pages per day: 181

Re-reads: 2
New reads: library - 4, BOMBs - 6, new purchases - 4

Genre: 1 science fiction, 5 fantasy, 6 children's, 2 nonfiction, 2 mystery
Format: 3 Kindle, 10 hb, 2 tpb, 1mmpb
Author Gender: 10 female, 6 male
Country of origin: 12 USA, 2 England, 1 New Zealand, 1 Colombia

Books acquired: 2

Book #35 The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan (333 pp.)

I heard about this one from Kathy (archerygirl) also, a sweet finding one-self story with lots of book love and some romance and love of country life. Very relaxing and charming.



Book #35 Mira's Last Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold (87 pp.)

This is the fourth novella about Penric's adventures in the world of the Five Gods and continues directly from the last one. Very much an in-between story.

Book #36 Magic For Nothing by Seanan McGuire (352 pp.)

This book deals with the aftermath of Verity's challenge at the end of Chaos Choreography and features her younger sister Antimony for the first time in the series. It also connects this reality with Sparrow Hill Road for the first time in a novel. (I understand this had been done in a short story but I haven't read many of the short stories.) Entertaining and original urban fantasy, but don't start here.

The Bookshop on the Corner sounds great. I could use some charm right now.

Hi, Jenn. That will do it.



Book #37 The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen (514 pp.)

There are flashbacks in the book that interfere with the flow of the story bigtime, but they are necessary to the conceptualization of the story. The problem is that the tone of the flashbacks (temporal and of a previous character's life) are completely different from the current story and so it really disrupts one's immersion. I'm looking forward to the final book but I'm going to take a break first.



Book #38 The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman (478 pp.)

This is a fantasy set in London's Regency England, recommended to me by Kerry (aviatakh). The author pays homage to Georgette Heyer and does a good job of representing the streets and households of the times. The fantasy elements are fairly mundane--the orphaned young girl coming into her powers at 18, unaware of what they are or how they are used, and not sure who to trust or how to control her powers while constrained by the mores of polite society. Still, the milieu is good and the story moves along, ending at a natural break in the tale. I have the second on order when it comes in at the library.

Book #39 Charity Girl by Georgette Heyer (249 pp.)

One of her last books, this one never has the sparkle for me of some of the others. I think part of this is that Desford is on the move so much and so there is relatively little interaction between him and Hetta. His relations with his father, mother, and brother, however, are topnotch, as are his characterizations of the miserly Lord N and the cardsharp son. The end moves quickly and wraps up in quite satisfactory fashion.



Book #40 Heartstone by Elle Katharine White (337 pp.)

Okay, this is the fantasy with dragons that mirrors Pride & Prejudice and, Readers, it is alright! It's a good story in its own right, not a pastiche like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies or a chick-lit retelling. It does not slavishly incorporate every little detail, freely adapting or throwing in a turn you didn't see coming, but the devotee of P&P can clearly see the bones underneath. This would be an entertaining little fantasy even without its provenance, and I recommend it!

Book #41 The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen (479 pp.)

What an interesting way (deus-ex-machina) to resolve a completely untenable situation! Third and last book of the series, we learn more about the history of the Tearling as everything goes to hell in the present. An interesting series, sure to appeal to female teens, and fairly entertaining, but not recommended unless you like fantasy already.



Book #42 Borderline by Mishell Baker (392 pp.)

I read this book because it was nominated for the Nebula Awards Best Novel for books published in 2016. I'm very happy it was because I would probably not have found it otherwise. This is urban fantasy at its best--smart, original, diverse, and tremendously entertaining. Yes, the protagonist is a double amputee following a suicide attempt with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. No, she doesn't wallow in it. Well, sometimes she does, but not for long. You'll learn a lot about BPD too. Did I mention this was entertaining? Try it out! Highly recommended.



Book #43 Captain Sir Richard Burton: The Secret Agent who Made the Pilgrimage to Mecca, Discovered the Kama Sutra, and brought the Arabian Nights to the West by Edward Rice (619 pp.)

I've been working on this nonfiction all month; it's been my bathtub book and I knew that if I read at least 20 pages a day, I'd get it finished within the month. This is a hefty biography of the Victorian-era adventurer. It is no one's fault that the most interesting parts occurred when Burton was in India and the Middle East in his younger days. While his African adventures were prodigious, I think he never was able to assimilate and absorb the cultures there and that rendered his exploits more mundane. Very interesting. I see only one more recent biography, and that a joint biography with his wife by an author who sounds like an apologist for Isabel. That one is 944 pages--I think I'll pass.

I've taken a book bullet with Heartstone. Sounds far too much fun. :)

>36 wookiebender: It was fun, Tanya. I hope you can find it. The Dark Days Club, by the bye, is by an Australian author.

>37 ronincats:, thanks for the heads up! I do like supporting our local Australian authors, even (or especially) when I've never heard of them before. :) The Library has a copy of Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club and you've got the prettier cover, but I've requested it anyhow. Sounds like my cup of tea. :)

Book #44 Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit (160 pp.)

Several people have had this book mentioned on their threads and I'm not sure who stimulated my hold on this book from the library, but this woman is one of my new heroes. I'm going to buy this book for my great niece who is 14 and read The Handmaid's Tale in her English class this fall. Solnit's essay on Virginia Woolf was the most outstanding for me, but her ability to take the broad view on women as people and to endure the trolls on the internet are what impressed me overall. Thanks to whoever put this on my horizon--it was an excellent read.



Book #45 Midnight Blue-Light Special by Seanan McGuire (328 pp.)

I am enjoying the rereads of the first two books of this series because the first time through, not only did I gulp them down, but also I kept comparing them to the October Daye series. This time I am letting them be themselves, which is entertaining urban fantasy. Also, this time I caught the sentence that links this world to Sparrow Hill Road, which pleased me.

Book #46 Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (94 pp.)

I read the author's first award-winning book, Who Fears Death, and have always meant to read this, so I picked it up at my independent bookstore along with the next one when I was there last month. It's a little pricey for what you get, imho, but I like to support the indies so wanted to buy it there instead of from Amazon. It's a good story (won Best Novella at the Hugos last year) but, as always with this length, left me wanting more.



Book #47 The Book That Changed America: How Darwin's Theory of Evolution Ignited a Nation by Randall Fuller (294 pp.)

This book is NOT about the Scopes trial in the 1920s but in the response of key naturalists and natural philosophers in reacting to Darwin's book as it became available in 1860 and how the scientific mindset it generated penetrated American thought. The author draws extensively from letters and journals of such luminaries as Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Branson Alcott (and Louisa May), Asa Gray (well known to aficionados of the San Diego Zoo), Franklin Benjamin Sanborn, Charles Loring Brace (founder of the orphan trains), Louis Agassiz, and many others, such as the founder of MIT, centered mostly around Boston. The history is fascinating and well-documented, the writing very adequate, and the connection with the abolitionist movement supported. I enjoyed it.

Book #48 Crown of Renewal by Elizabeth Moon (503 pp.)

I've been trudging through two books that, while interesting, are not very engaging and was needing some story-telling that pulled me in. I've only read this last book of the series once (having reread every prior book each time a new one came out) and it was calling to me. And I flew through it. Only for those already pulled into Paks' world and familiar with its characters, as the series is very character-driven, this final book of the series wraps up some storylines and leaves others tantalizingly open-ended--but it was great fun getting there. I powered through it in two days. Now I'm back to working on Everfair and The Three-Body Problem.



Book #49 The Madwoman Upstairs by Catherine Lowell (340 pp.)

Recommended by Marianne (michigantrumpet), this is chicklit expresso, along the lines of Austenland but with the Brontes as the literary underpinning. Fun, but I found the protagonist somewhat frustrating at times. The literary discussion was great, though!

Book #50 Congress of Secrets by Stephanie Burgis (347 pp.)

Set in Vienna during the international Congress held after Napoleon was banished to Elba, this book uses the historical setting and a number of historical characters, inserting three protagonists within this setting. Two are returning to Vienna under false personae, one for rescue and revenge, the other for a con, while the third is pulled into intrigue and torture through no fault of his own. A touch of fantasy, dark powers of alchemy underlie the primary villain's power. Interesting, not outstanding, but a fascinating historical setting.



DidNotFinish Everfair by Nisi Shawl (168 pp.)

I reached page 168 in this book, out of 381, and I still didn't care. This is an ambitious book. I understand why it was nominated for a Nebula Award. It's alternate history and fantasy where English and American whites and blacks set up a free colony in the heart of the Congo and eventually defeat King Leopold and his Belgians against all odds. There are so many characters, so many points of view, so much politicking, that the interesting parts of the story got lost in it all from my point of view. And skimming through to the end confirms that for me, it was just not worth the time and effort expended. Your mileage may very well vary. It is a worthy book, dealing with issues of freedom and race and religion and technology and gender. I just couldn't hang with it.

Book #51 Within the Sanctuary of Wings by Marie Brennan (333 pp.)

The great strength of all five volumes of Lady Trent's memoirs is the fantastic verisimilitude of the world-building of this alternative world. It's not the characters, although Lady Trent's ascerbic voice and her passion for the study of dragons certainly contribute. It's not the plots or the action, although there is plenty of both; these could be found in any action-adventure story involving Victorian exploration and nation-building. It is the extent to which you identify and believe in this world and Lady Trent that sucks you in and refuses to let you go. I'm sad that my journeys with her are over, but this book is the same high quality as the earlier books, does not disappoint, and is a fitting finale.



Book #52 Crochet With Wire by Nancie Wiseman (88 pp.)

I was preparing for a craft fair today (happening tomorrow) so I took time to sit down and read my hobby book, Crochet with Wire by Nancie Wiseman, all 88 pages of it. It was very basic. There are two techniques and one idea I take away from it. Slightly disappointing, actually.

Book #53 Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley (264 pp.)

I had recently acquired this and several other McKinleys on my Kindle as part of a Humble Bundle deal, and could not resist a quick reread. (I've now gone straight into Rose Daughter) One of my favorite retellings, I've always loved the relationships between the family members in this one.



Book #54 Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley (306 pp.)

Written 20 years after the first, McKinley questions some of the tropes in the original tale, but although very different, the relationships between the sisters still anchor the tale. I think we see much less of the relationship-building between Beauty and the Beast but a lot more of the magic at work. And the ending is much more realistic and grounded.



Book #55 The Gathering Edge by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (352 pp.)

This book follows directly upon Dragon Ship, with Theo and Bechimel hidden out in his "safe" space where flotsam from the old universe occasionally floats in. This time a whole damaged ship floats in with two living Troop and a cat. The book spends most of its time dealing with the ship and crew accommodating to the Troops and vice versa, finally moving out to a station where, of course, things do not go smoothly, and finishing with a launch toward Surebleak where we know that all kinds of s--t are going to break loose very shortly. And we have some premonitions...

Book #56 All Seated on the Ground by Connie Willis (128 pp.)

Someone over in the SFF Category Challenge thread mentioned this Willis novella and it sounded like fun, so I grabbed it for my Kindle. This was delightful! I love Connie's sense of humor and of the weirdness of our society and this madcap romp of trying to figure out aliens and the important men not listening to our heroine, plus a touch of romance--well, let's just say this has now joined my list of stories to reread every Christmas.



Book #57 The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley (244 pp.)
This was another reread of a McKinley book discussed above--they are like Lays potato chips--you can't consume just one. In the first book set in Damar, The Blue Sword, we catch glimpses of Aerin's character. After all, the blue sword was hers. And this is the backstory of who she is and why she is important. Still #2 in my heart, but only by a little.



Book #58 Frogkisser! by Garth Nix (372 pp.)

Oh, this is fun. Princess Anya not only has a stepmother (mostly absent) but a stepstepfather who is an evil sorcerer who wants the throne. Anya really just wants to sit in the library and eat tea and cookies and read about magic, and occasionally to help her sister when her stepstepfather transforms the (older) sister's beaus into frogs. But push comes to shove and she is suddenly on a quest with a transformed prince (frog) and one of the palace dogs and very little in the way of supplies and no preparation--not at all the way Anya is accustomed to doing things. Nix plays with fairy tale tropes and characters in a fun but respectful way that adults will recognize and enjoy along with the middle-graders this book is aimed at. Highly recommended!



Book #59 The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (400 pp.)

This book won the Hugo, but I struggled with the dry and to me unemotional laying out of an alien culture and their planned invasion of earth. This is only the first book of the trilogy, and there are no boots on the ground yet, but it moved very slowly for me. Original, lots of hard science, Chinese culture and history, but still not one I enjoyed.

Book #60 In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan (466 pp.)

An ARC of this book was provided by the Early Reviewers program; it will be published later this summer.

This could have been about so many things. A boy from our world crosses the borderland to go to school in a fantasy world with elves, dwarves, harpies, mermaids, and trolls. But it's not a school for magic, as humans can't do magic. It's a school for warriors (battle-training) and councillors (advisors, drawing up treaties, diplomacy) and the pendulum has swung far toward giving all the status to the warriors, while the humans seem to be at war with almost all the other groups. Elliott is an unlikable, emotionally-needy, foul-mouthed teen who doesn't appreciate a world without modern conveniences or the physical condition necessary to, for example, swing a sword, so he spends his time in classes for the councillors and the library. Starved for attention and unwilling to trust anyone, Elliott not only has the hots for the one Elf girl in the warrior class, but also on general principles (personal survival) has the goal of negotiating fair and peace-producing treaties with the other species in spite of the general disrespect toward the councillors. But despite all the trappings, this is basically a coming of age story. Elliott's insecurities and snark and raging hormones drive this--the setting is incidental although interesting. It drags in spots during the four years covered, the pacing is uneven and it's episodic. All that said, I found the concept intriguing, the world interesting, and I liked it better than The Magicians.

Book #61 Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner (352 pp.)

The King of Attolia has sent Costis to steal the slave Kamet, just as his master is poisoned, but getting out of the Empire and back to Attolia is full of difficulties. Not going to say any more, no, just not.



Book #62 Phantom Pains by Mishell Baker (408 pp.)

This is book 2 of the Arcadia Project. The first impressed me with its treatment of mental illnesses in non-stereotypical, non-condescending manner. This book deals with that issue a lot less and becomes a lot more like the other urban fantasy out there. Still, the story became engrossing and entertaining as it went on and ended at a place that seems like an end.

So, it's been a fun three days. Five books off my own shelves. Unfortunately, they are all rereads. ;-)



Book #63 The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (219 pp.)
Book #64 The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner (362 pp.)
Book #65 The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner (410 pp.)
Book #66 A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner (341 pp.)
Book #67 Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner (339 pp.)

Twenty years, five books, and she says there will be at least one more. These are books you can't talk about until people read them because the author has a twisty, twisty mind and spoilers would abound, but that's what makes them so enjoyable. So much fun to immerse myself in this world again for a few days.

Oh, Frogkisser! was an absolute delight! I took Miss Boo to a YA day as part of the Sydney Writers Festival this year and we got to see Garth Nix chat about his book and we bought it and she got it signed (I was in a queue for Amie Kaufman :). We've both since read this one, and we both really loved it.

So glad you and Miss Boo loved it too! And you remind me I've neglected updating this thread! Time to remedy that.

Book #68 The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman (356 pp.)

This is book three of the Invisible Library fantasy series and should be read in order. These are high action alternate world fantasies, fun world-building and quick-reading for entertainment. Nothing too original but not too trite either. Good summer reading.



Book #69 Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor (349 pp.)

This fifth book by Nnedi Okorafor is a YA book set in Nigeria. Sunny, born in the US of Nigerian parents but moving with them back to Nigeria at the age of 9, has had her transition made harder by the fact that she is an albino, set apart by physical appearance as well as cultural background. As she begins to make friends, she discovers that they have different abilities and feel that she may also have such abilities. In this book, immersed in Nigerian culture, Sunny discovers those abilities and her place in the world and resolves difficulties both in her family and in her community. The author is born of Nigerian parents in the US and has often visited Nigeria. Her first book for adults, Who Fears Death, was nominated for a Hugo and won the 2011 World Fantasy Award. Her voice in her books (this is the third I have read) is powerful and original.

Book #70 We are Legion by Dennis Taylor (383 pp.)

So, I finished this on my Kindle last night and concur with all the others who have been reading and warbling about it, especially Kim who put it on my wishlist. Is this great science fiction? No, but it is fun and it is clever and it is engaging and that makes it well worthwhile. We'll have to see if Taylor can keep up the engagement level in the next few books as the number of Bobs multiply and therefore so do their activities. But yes, a nerd's paradise as someone here has already said.



Book #71 John Adams by David McCullough (656 pp.)

This is a marvelous book, a five-star read! I learned so much, not least a strong sense of respect for our second President as well as his incomparable wife. Had this not been my bathtub book, I would have marked many, many quotes by Adams that are just as pertinent today to our issues of democracy and government as they were then, and his prescient insight. The book is so large, I cannot search through it hoping to find them now, unfortunately. But he anticipated the ultimate result of the French revolution into dictatorship and regretted the early emergence of parties as harmful to democracy, among other things. Jefferson and Hamilton come off as much more flawed beings in McCullough's history. Absolutely fascinating!!



Book #72 Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly (271 pp.)

I loved the movie, thought it was so well done, and wanted to read this to get more of the history. This is one case where I recommend seeing the movie before reading the book. The movie conflates and rearranges the actual events to accentuate the drama and create a cohesive and compelling story line. The book is more a history following the life stories of all three women in depth but with a side cast of many more, and it was fascinating in its own right to see how the movie selected from this plethora of data for its scenes. You can see that I moved right through it in under two days! I'm tempted to give this 5 stars as well, but I'll stay for right now with 4.5 stars mainly because, well, David McCullough right before. And I admire the movie even more as a result of reading this.

The Dark Days Pact by Allison Goodman (read 199 of 490 pages)

This is the second book in the series, with at least one more to come. The author has done so much research into the setting and the history that I feel badly about not being able to immerse myself in the story, but so it is. It is somewhat surprising to see that this 490 page book is intended for a YA audience, but perhaps such an audience will resonate to the drama more than I. I read the first 9 chapters and the last two, and now I shall release it back to the library where people are waiting for it.

Book #73 Who Buries the Dead by C. S. Harris (338 pp.)

This is the tenth book in this series about Lord Devlin, mysteries set in Regency-era London. They have all been quite good, and Harris does a spectacular job of combining personal issues in strong characters with Regency politics and historical detail, all in support of excellent mysteries. This one had an extra treat, as Pride and Prejudice has just been published and everyone is reading it, Jane is in London at her brother's house during his wife's fatal illness, and one of the plot lines will end up in another of her novels eventually. She is by no means a central character, but it's lovely to see her here.



Book #74 The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge (411 pp.)

This book got on my tbr list because it was nominated for the YA Andre Norton award at the Nebula Awards. The first sentence turned me off majorly, but fortunately that style did not continue into the book. This is more a mystery than a fantasy--there is one fantastical element, the titular object. Set in Victorian times, Faith, accustomed to being ignored for her own sake, only valued for what she can do for others in her family, is the only one who suspects a crime and will seek evidence to prove it. In so doing, she will have to make decisions about what she really values.

This was quite well done. Hardinge won the Costa Children’s Book Category Prize with this – and, in fact, the Costa Judges also awarded it the Costa Book of The Year, the outright winner over the other category winners. It didn't win the Norton (and I have yet to read 5 of the 7 nominated books, only this one and The Girl Who Drank the Moon, both of which were excellent and neither of which won). It ties in both with the books on Darwin I've been reading and with the Lady Trent. books thematically. Definitely recommended.

Book #75 A Useful Woman by Darcie Wilde (357 pp.)

Found out about this series when Robin (rretzler) reviewed the second on her thread. Set in Regency London, the book features Rosalind Thorne, a member of the upper class until her father disappeared in scandal and now she tries to hold onto her gentility on the fringes of society by organizing and facilitating for the ladies of society. When she discovers a dead body in Almack's, which the forces that be are eager to label an accident to avoid scandal, she is pulled into a murder investigation. Great characters, interesting interactions, true to Regency society and mores (as a Heyer fan, I am quite familiar with these, and I'll bet the author is a Heyer fan too), I also liked this book a great deal. When I went to record it, I found out the author is actually Sarah Zettel, with whom I am familiar as an author of science fiction and fantasy. I'll be looking for the second one.



Book #76 For We are Many by Dennis Taylor (321 pp.)

I wasn't sure I wanted to put out the money for this second book in the Bobiverse series, but then I discovered I could borrow it for free from the Kindle Library and so I did! This one did not have the novelty or the humor of the first book, as the Bobs get in over their head on several fronts and so aren't feeling too cheery. I with I had discovered the character index and the Bob geneology at the end of the book before I finished it, as I found the multitude of Bobs confusing as they proliferated. Several storylines are carried forward from the last book and some new ones started, notably a hive-mind alien specieswho consumes planets and is heading Earth's way. The book ends with the Bobs determined to save humanity but without any way to stop the aliens...except maybe an idea in Bill's mind which I suspect is leading toward a Lensman-like planet-smashing denouement. Actually, the series is very much like the classic Lensman series by E. E. (Doc) Smith, very pulp and technology-oriented. Light entertainment for the science fiction fan, not much there for anyone else.

Book #77 City of Miracles by Robert Bennett Jackson (450 pp.)

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book through the LT Early Reviewer Program.

This is the third and last book of the Divine Cities series by Bennett. This series contains one of the two most original milieus in modern fantasy, IMHO, with the other being Max Gladstone's Craft Sequence. The world-building is superb, detailed and different. The fantasy plot elements are reminiscent to both Gladstone and N. K. Jemisin, another outstanding and original fantasy author, in that Divinity is interacting with the mundane world and drives several important elements of the plot. This final book is told from Sigrud's POV, although we do get to see key figures from previous books, and drives to a final climax that illuminates many things from previous books. A worthy finale to an excellent series.



Book #78 Silver On the Road by Laura Anne Gilman (417 pp.)

This fantasy is set in the Territory, between the Mississippi and the Rockies although in this alternate reality they have different names, at the beginning of the 19th century. Isobel has just turned 16 and served out her indenture to the Boss of the Territory, and she chooses to be his Hand. This sends her out onto the road patrolling the Territory with a mentor. This is a fascinating and original fantasy, full of atmosphere and interesting characters, as you try to figure out what is going on in an unfamiliar land. Mary (storeetler) heard me talking about reading it and actually finished it ahead of me, also with strong recommendation! I am trying to hold back from immediately buying the second (I got this one as a Kindle deal in January), and I will probably check out her two contemporary urban fantasy series, Paranormal Scene Investigations and Sylvan Investigations.





Book #79 Deadweather and Sunrise by Geoff Rodkey (296 pp.)

This is a fun adventure story for middle grades, containing pirates and silver mines and islands and treasure, quite delightful! And it is the first of three, so I've already ordered the next two from the library.

Book #80 The Furthest Station by Ben Aaronovitch (144 pp.)

This novella covers a single case investigated by Peter Grant and crew and does not carry the overarching story of the Faceless Man forward at all--in fact it isn't even mentioned. However, it was once again great entertainment to be in Peter's POV and to enjoy his sardonic asides as he and friends solve the case. Recommended! (After you read the previous books)



Book #81 Merrill's Marauders: The Untold Story of Unit Galahad and the Toughest Special Forces Mission of World War II BY Gavin Mortimer (230 pp.)

My dad was a member of Merrill's Marauders in WW II, Third Battalion, Khaki Combat Team. Third Battalion were seasoned veterans who had fought in the Solomon Islands and at Guadalcanal before volunteering for this mission. My brother had collected Dad's books on the mission, from the original Merrill's Marauders pamphlet produced by the Military Intelligence for military personnel to the huge Spearhead (772 pp.) written by a medical officer of the Third Battalion together with an intelligence officer assigned to General Headquarters during the mission. Mortimer drew heavily from both these sources and supplemented them with many interviews with surviving Marauders. His maps come from the original pamphlet and are sometimes nearly unreadable, but his prose is clear. His version does not improve on prior accounts of the actual battles but I believe clears up some of the poor decisions made by Stilwell and Merrill and puts Frank Hunter in his deserved position of actual commander. It also probably documents for the first time the shameful way the Marauders were treated after achieving their third and final objective. How I would love to talk with my father and brother about all this!



Book #82 When Falcons Fall by C. S. Harris (355 pp.)

This series is so good. I picked this up yesterday afternoon and finished it at bedtime. There is so much going on, the tension is palpable, and I had no idea who the killer was but it all made sense in the end.



Book #83 New Lands by Geoff Rodkey (325 pp.)

This is the second of The Chronicles of Egg, a children's series that Stephen (SirFurBoy) called to my attention. It's middle-grade level and definitely recommended for that age group. For adults, only those of you who follow these types of fantasy adventure series. But it's light, entertaining reading for warm summer afternoons!



Book #84 Blue Sea Burning by Geoff Rodkey (374 pp.)

The conclusion, probably, of this children's series--the major plot lines are pretty well wrapped up. Still enjoyable, but not for adults who aren't into children's lit.

Book #85 Leviathan Wakes by James A. Corey (572 pp.)

This has been in my tbr pile for 4 or 5 years despite uniformly good reviews by others, and I have finally gotten to it. Sprawling space opera, it reminds me of Cherryh's Downbelow Station, except confined to our solar system. I liked the two viewpoint characters and how their interaction adds to the depth of the story. This is the first of a series, and it has already been made into a tv series as well.



Book #86 Arabella of Mars by David D. Levine (350 pp.)

This book swam into my ken when it was nominated for the Andre Norton Award for Young Adults Science Fiction and Fantasy at the Nebula Awards this year, which it then won. And it is a romp! Think Lady Trent in a Regency setting rather than the Victorian one, and at a younger age (17). It's steampunk and alternate history and dire and dastardly deeds and war and rebellion and cross-dressing and romance and really neat Martians and flying ships! What is NOT to like? Highly recommended for all you with the spirit of young adventure still lurking in your hearts! A delightful way to spend a warm summer day out on the deck under the tree with a light breeze, playing with the kitten (Miles) who is now totally tame (I am the kitten whisperer!), and reading a delightful book.



Book #87 Cold Welcome by Elizabeth Moon (433 pp.)

Moon has decided to extend the original Vatta's War space opera series of 5 books, starting a new tangent to be called Vatta's Peace. The Vattas still have enemies who weren't exposed in the activities of the prior books and they make their presence know when Ky comes to Slotter Key on family business by sabotaging her shuttle and dumping her, with others in the shuttle, in the frigid ocean. We watch her deal with survival in harsh conditions while Aunt Grace and Rafe attempt to find out who the saboteurs are, within both the military and the governmental structures, and to reach Ky to prevent the villains from killing all the survivors to protect their secrets. I don't have the degree of love for this series that I do for the Vorkosigans and Korval or Moon's fantasy series about Paksennarion, but it is still quite enjoyable science fiction adventure and I look forward to the future books.

Book #88 The Obelisk Gate by N. K. Jemisin (410 pp.)

I bought this last fall (so yes, it is another BOMB) after very much enjoying the first book. This one was not quite as amazing in the way it wove the different threads together, but while very much a middle book in the series, it was a good read that advanced the story.



Book #89 Hard Magic by Laura Anne Gilman (329 pp.)

This is by the same author who wrote Silver on the Road, which I read and really liked in the last thread, set in a frontier great plains at the turn of the 1800s in an alternate history. Very original, with lots of distinctive voice. Before she started this series, she had written several others, two of which are contemporary urban fantasy. This is the first book of her second series. It says something that her twenty-something often horny protagonist did NOT irritate me (and no sex in the book, despite her urges! How often do we see that?) and that I was very much pulled into this story of how a few of the Talented see a need for forensic Magic to solve crimes and pull together a team of twenty-somethings not only to train, but as a team to invent the tools needed. But their first case, ruled a suicide by police, results in a killer targeting THEM. I liked this, liked the writing, liked the characters and the hectic life of New York City. So, definitely above average urban fantasy, with a brain behind it.



Book #90 Dancing at the Edge of the World: Thoughts on Words, Women, Places by Ursula Le Guin (302 pp.)

I have been greatly enjoying reading this book as my bathtub book for the first 2/3 of July. Long on my shelves, I pulled it out in response to the July Nonfiction Challenge: Creators and Creativity. And it fit the billing perfectly. This is a collection of Le Guin's talks, essays and reviews from 1976 to 1988. I only have half a dozen tags sticking out of the pages, but I could have had 4 times that number. The leisurely pace of reading an article a day left space for taking the time to let the ideas emerge and submerge themselves in my consciousness as she talks about writing, women and women's experience of writing and how it may differ from men's, and some perfectly lovely travelogue diary excerpts where one wants to roll oneself in the luxuriousness of the written language. She is sharp, acerbic, wise, deep, tolerant, critical, and creative. I immediately went to Amazon to buy her latest nonfiction collection, Words Are My Matter: Writings About Life and Books, 2000-2016, with a Journal of a Writer’s Week, skipping over the two collections in between (for the time being, at least) as I want to see what she is thinking about NOW after reading her thoughts of 30 years ago.

And now I'm all caught up!

Book #91 The Cold Eye by Laura Anne Gilman (334 pp.)

This is the second book of the series started with Silver on the Road, which I read in the last thread. Set in an early 1800s alternative history in the Great Plains of North America, it is creative in its conceptualization of magic and how it interacts with what we know of the area in that time. This continues the story of Isobel learning about the Territory and her own powers and responsibilities, as well as how it is threatened by outside forces. Still quite enjoyable, and I will wait impatiently for the next book.



Book #92 The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn 373 pp.)

This is the only book acquired this month that I completed within the month (although I did get 3 BOMBs off my shelves). Two researchers from the future are sent back in time to befriend Jane Austen and try to copy her letters and get a copy of the completed The Watsons. I actually think the author did a pretty good job with this intriguing concept, although I was put off at the first when they showed up at an inn near their entry drop and tried to hire rooms with not so much as a bandbox, and were surprised to be rejected. I read this slowly--there are lots of sections and chapters so it was easy to do and I couldn't rush through it. I was fascinated by it, though.



Book #93 Where the Dead Lie by C. S. Harris (338 pp.)

I must sadly report that I am now up to date with reading this 12th and most recent in the Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series set in Regency England. This most recent has the most gruesome and numerous murders of the series so far (I hope this is not an arithmetic progression) but the personal touches got me through those parts of the story. The tension between Devlin and Jarvis continues to escalate and there are some dramatic changes in Devlin's personal circle. As usual, the mystery is riveting and the milieu quite developed. Sad that I have to wait until next year for the next book to come out--and there will be a next book as there are several threads left dangling.

Book #94 The Gates of Tagmeth by P. C. Hodgell (377 pp.)

This is the 8th book in the Chronicles of the Kencyrath, which started with one of my favorite books, God Stalk, some 20 years ago. Hodgell is not a fast writer and the series is not anywhere near resolution yet, but I really enjoy the journey. Jame meets some new challenges, meets up with some allies from previous books as well as enemies, and at the end there is actually a major development!!

I can't wait for the next one.



Book #95 The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi (342 pp.)

This is a tale echoing multiple mythic storylines, from Psyche and Cupid to Persephone and Hades with a lush Indian atmosphere. There is rich descriptive language and creative, detailed world-building. Character development may have suffered as a result, but this is a lovely mythic tale.



Book #96 Pack of Lies by Laura Anne Gilman (378 pp.)

This is book two of Gilman's Paranormal Investigators urban fantasy series and continues the story of the first group of private investigators looking into crimes involving the Talent. Still interesting and fun.



Book #97 Penric's Fox by Lois McMaster Bujold (113 pp.)

So, THIS Tuesday, Bujold's new novella, the fifth in the Penric series but the third chronologically, emerged with little fanfare, but since I subscribe to the listserv I got an early heads up on this one and had it bought on my Kindle and read the same day. Penric is pulled into another murder investigation, but this one has a missing demon after its host is killed, making figuring out what is going on even more urgent. Another quality story from Lois (and congrats on winning that Hugo Award today for Best Series!).



Book #98 Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong--and the New Research That's Rewriting the Story by Angela Saini (200 pp.)

This is my book for the August Nonfiction Challenge as well as being an Early Reviewers book for me. I was curious about this as I had not read in this area more recently than Carol Tavris' classic The Mismeasure of Woman in 1993. It is even more topical in the wake of the Google engineer's comments on women in tech last week, which exemplifies the issues still faced using outdated assumptions and science. This was interesting and well-researched, clearly stated and organized and very important.

Book #99 The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins (390 pp.)

Definitely "gruesome" with "shuddering", but I fear I did not find the "wickedly comical" elements and nothing had me "chortling". These are all descriptions from the cover blurbs. I'm sorry, but this was simply too, too violent for me and that colored everything else in the book. Original, well-written, decent world-building, and I rushed through it simply to get it over with. YMMV.



Book #100 Kingfisher by Patricia A. McKillip (346 pp.)

I had this home from the library once before but simply didn't have time to get to it before time ran out. And I love McKillip's writing, so this seemed an appropriate book for #100. With Arthurian undertones, set in an alternate modern world (with cars and cell phones but also with knights and goddesses and magic), the book is twisty and atmospheric, things the author is well-known for. Definitely enjoyable, for fantasy lovers everywhere!



Book #101 Winterling by Sarah Prineas (248 pp.)

This author wrote a children's series I loved (The Magic Thief) because of its originality and quirkiness. This book was also well-written and I would have loved it as an 11-year-old, but it is pretty traditional in its story of a girl entering fairyland and defeating evil. Recommended for those of all ages who love fairytales, but otherwise leave it to the kids.

Book #102 Tricks of the Trade by Laura Ann Gilman (345 pp.)

Book 3 of 4 of the Paranormal Scene Investigators book, this continues the development of Bonnie and her cohort as Talent investigators. Continues good if light contemporary urban fantasy, but unfortunately the library doesn't have the fourth book.



Book #103 Avians by Timothy Gwyn (2601 KB)

This Kindle book was received through the Early Reviewer program. It is a YA science fiction story set on a planet only partially inhabitable by humans, on the slopes of tall mountains. The colony is maintained by shipments from large ships that transverse the planet visiting all of the settlements, dropping supplies and having local products flown up to them on low-tech gliders. And it is the story of these gliders that we follow at one small settlement. The world-building is fantastic. The writing is serviceable and does not get in the way of the story, and the characterization is actually quite good. I'd recommend this author to your attention.

ETA This is published by Five Rivers Publishing, a Canadian company that produces ebooks and prints books on demand. I have to say that the editing on this book was superb--I didn't notice ANY errors and that is unusual. Also, two excellent reviews on the book page by reading_fox and thedenathome.

Book #104 Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (189 pp.)

This is the prequel to Every Heart a Doorway and I knew that I would not enjoy it going in, as this series (Wayward Children) is very dark fantasy. But since I love McGuire's writing, I am following her there for these novellas. This is the back story of Jack and Jill, whom we met in the first book, and how they got the way they were. Very atmospheric and yet very matter of fact despite some horrific events.


Book 105 The Unquiet Bones by Mel Starr (248 pp.)

This book was recommended by LTers some years ago and I put it on my paperbackswap.com wish list and received it a year or two ago. It's a historical mystery set around 1365 featuring Hugh de Singleton, surgeon, and I found it quite entertaining. Thanks to whoever recommended it.



Book #106 Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear (320 pp.)

I liked this book but wasn't blown away by it. A mystery of sorts with frequent flashbacks to earlier events in Maisie's life, it was interesting but the flow of the story was uneven for me as a result.



Book #107 The Warded Man by Peter Brett (453 pp.)

This is the first book of a fairly well-reviewed epic fantasy series. It is interesting, the world-building is certainly original, but this entire book is the back story of what would appear to be the major protagonists of the rest of the series and as such, moved too slowly for me. I don't think I will continue this series.

Book #108 The Brightest Fell by Seanan McGuire (368 pp.)

Book #11 of the October Daye series, this is the annual publication, much anticipated and well-enjoyed. Those who criticized Toby in the last book for becoming too much of a Mary Sue will be glad to see her vulnerabilities in this one. Lots of filling in with characters from earlier books, which is nice. Bonus novella from the viewpoint of April from A Local Habitation--VERY nice.



Book #109 Thraxas and the Warrior Monks by Martin Scott (256 pp.)

This is comic fantasy noir, and it's okay and mildly amusing in its skewering of fantasy tropes, but doesn't quite hit my funnybone. Others have liked the Thraxas books (this is the second in the series) more than I, so don't let it put you off. Much British humorous fantasy doesn't quite do it for me, with the marked exception of Terry Pratchett.



Book #110 Masks and Shadows by Stephanie Burgis (317 pp.)

Earlier this year, I read Congress of Secrets by this author, intrigued by the historical setting of the fantasy/adventure tale, and enjoyed it. This book was her first book set in Eastern Europe written by Burgis. The two books are connected only in general geography and temporal proximity and use of a troupe of actors/singers in the plot, but they have no characters in common. This books comes earlier in history, in the mid-1700s during the co-regency of Empress Anna and her son Joseph, rather than during the Congress of Vienna in 1814, but is just as fascinating in its historical detail. At the same time, the shifting points of view contribute to an effective sense of urgency throughout the book. And the characters are also fascinating. The fantasy element comes from the presence of dark alchemy in both books and the need to foil the plots involving them. I enjoyed this one even more than the earlier read.



Book #111 The Jesuit and the Skull: Teilhard de Chardin, Evolution, and the Search for Peking Man by Amir D. Aczel (289 pp.)

I encountered this book on Mabith's thread and ordered it from the library. I had heard of Teilhard du Chardin and had always wanted to know more about him, and this book delivered. Also, my nonfiction reads have included a lot about evolution in the last year, and this book was a perfect mixture of the history of the evolutionary theory, the paleontological discoveries supporting it, a biography of Teilhard du Chardin's life, and an introduction to his writings as he strove to make clear his conclusions that evolution was essentially the Hand of God, rather than the static system supported by religious orthodoxy, and the implications of this for us. Now I feel like I may be ready to read some of his own writings. Thank you, mabith!

Book #112 A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty (375 pp.)

This is the first book of a fantasy trilogy recommended by mabith, aimed at the 10-15 year old range in my estimation. This book took a while for me to get into, with its two protagonists alternating chapters. One, Madeleine, lives in England in "The World" while Elliot lives in the Kingdom of Cello. Both are dealing with family issues and end up communicating by letter through a crack between the two worlds. But there is a twist at the end of the book that ups the level a notch and will keep me reading.



Book #113 The Cracks in the Kingdom by Jaclyn Moriarty (468 pp.)

This is the second book in the YA fantasy trilogy. Lots of things happen after the surprise at the ending of the first book and we are left with much to be resolved in the third book.

By now it was Tuesday and I wanted something totally comfort while dealing with my migraine, plus I hadn't had a reread in MONTHS, so I picked this book up and as always totally enjoyed it.



Book #114 The Thread that Binds the Bones by Nina Kiriki Hoffman (311 pp.)

I love Hoffman's characters--they are always so rich. Tom has always been able to see ghosts and it has caused him many problems as a child being bounced from family member to family member, so he's worked at shutting it down. But now it's starting up again and results in his fleeing Portland to end up in a small town in eastern Oregon. Little does he know that he's jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. Fantasy, Presences, romance, twisted powers and lots of lovely characters--this is one of my favorite comfort reads.

Book #115 Bad Feminist by Roxanne Gay (320 pp.)

Several LTers have been reading this lately, including Berly, and so I picked it up from the library. This collection of essays makes for powerful reading and I'm glad I read it. Powerful alternate perspectives are definitely to be cultivated.



Book #116 All Systems Red by Martha Wells (152 pp.)

I've read several of Wells' fantasy books but I ordered this science fiction novella from the library because blue (bluesalamander) was warbling about it, and then Heather (souloftherose) chimed in too. It's about a murderbot who has nullified its command chip so it can OD on popular entertainment videos and it doesn't much care about anything else. But against its own desires, it starts to interact with its survey team (the one it's supposed to provide security for) when it becomes clear that someone is trying to eliminate them. Short and sweet, I'll look for the next one definitely!



Book #117 A Tangle of Gold by Jaclyn Moriarty (470 pp.)

It's the third in a YA fantasy series called The Colors of Madeleine featuring an alternate world with cracks into this one. This series kept surprising me, with unexpected twists as well as very creative world-building. Definitely recommended for the target audience!

Book #118 Words are My Matter by Ursula Le Guin

Nonfiction, this is a collection of essays, talks and book reviews in Le Guin's inimitable style.



Book #119 Interim Errantry 2 by Diane Duane

This chronicles the Ordeals of three of the wizards who we have met working with Kit and Nita in previous books, so background and filling in for fans of the series. Not the place to start, but always fun to spend more time in that universe!



Book #120 Central Station by Lavie Tidhar (271 pp.)

This science fiction novel has been getting a lot of buzz and I see why. Truly creative world-building and characters that get under your skin.

Book #121 Vallista by Steven Brust (328 pp.)

This is the 15th book in the series about Vlad Taltos, sometime assassin and destabilizer of Dragearean society. It was published yesterday, when indeed I received it in the mail from Amazon. Brust delights in confounding expectations with twisty mysteries and this is a good example, but not the place to start. Definitely read in publication order, starting with Jhereg. Here's a good article written yesterday.

http://www.tor.com/2017/10/17/an-appreciation-of-the-vlad-taltos-novels-by-steve...



Book 122 The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle (153 pp.)

This novella won the Hugo for 2016 in its category. I can see why, with its topicality on race issues and nod to Lovecraftian fantasy. But the evocation of that somewhat dated atmosphere kept it from grabbing me emotionally.



Book 123 My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows (494 pp.)

This is an entertaining YA fantasy/alternate history where Lady Jane does NOT lose her head after 9 days as queen, and I think would be great for its target audience of preteen and teenage girls. Adults, however, note that the authors do CUTE and abstain if CUTE pushes your irritability button. That being something I was able to take in stride, I found it light and entertaining. Recommended by Rachel (aktakukac).

Book #124 Maps to Nowhere by Marie Brennan (174 pp.)

These are 10 short stories by fantasy author Marie Brennan, most having been previously published in magazines or collections. Some are very short sketches of ideas. The first one is probably the most fleshed out. And there is a fun Lady Trent story. Interesting ideas, but not something I would pay for personally.



Book #125 The Prisoner of Limnos by Lois McMaster Bujold ( pp.)

This ebook novella completes the story arc started by Penric's Mission and Mira's Last Dance very satisfactorily with another adventure rescue. My only regret is I can see many side characters and areas that could have been more developed in a novel.



Book #126 The Dark Side: the inside story on how the war on terror turned into a war of American Ideals by Jane Mayer (355 pp.)

The documentation is extensive as to how Cheney and his people completely set up and hid from Congress and the courts the procedures and legal opinions that created extraordinary renditions and interrogations that resulted in the the mess we have today, with a military tribunal judge ordering a US Judge jailed for contempt for concluding that he could not fairly represent a plaintiff at Guantanamo last week. What happens when political agendae mix with novices in government without a good legal and constitutional grounding is a terrifying cautionary tale especially given our current government.

Book #127 Greenglass House by Kate Milford (376 pp.)

This is a middle-school fantasy recommended by foggidawn, and it was an easy read while still full of interest as a diverse group of characters show up at Milo's parents' inn totally unexpectedly during the Christmas holidays. Who are they and why are they there? Why do things keep disappearing?



Book #128 A Royal Experiment: the private life of King George III by Janice Hadlow (617 pp.)

I think it was Susan in London who made me aware of this book. It caught my attention because I have read so much fiction in the Georgian and Regency periods but had little awareness of the royals of that time other than the Prince Regent. This was a long and thorough but highly interesting history of the family and family relationships thoroughly annotated and researched. Not necessarily for the casual reader.



Book #129 Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett (350 pp.)

This is the book that definitively hooked me on Pratchett and I wanted to see if it stood up to re-reading. It definitely had some great moments, but now I suspect that the next book in the subthread is the one that started getting deeper, so I will put Men at Arms in the reread pile soon to check that out. But really, books where we get to spend time with Vetinari and the Librarian are worth the time spent in them.

Books bend space and time. One reason the owners of those aforesaid little rambling, poky second-hand bookshops always seem slightly unearthly is that many of them really are, having strayed into this world after taking a wrong turning in their own bookshops in worlds where it is considered commendable business practice to wear carpet slippers all the time and open your shop only when you feel like it. You stray into L-space at your peril.



Book #130 1632 by Eric Flint (597 pp.)

This book has been on my shelf for several years, at least. I raced through it yesterday and today. It's an interesting premise, several square miles of West Virginia small town transported to the middle of 1600's Germany and what might ensue, plus lots of history along with political thinking and beautiful strong women. I enjoyed it, but I think one might be enough. Any of you read the sequels?

Book #131 Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson (209 pp.)

Some people find Tyson irritating. I don't; I think his enthusiasm for his subject is charming. And this little book was the perfect bathtub book--small and broken into chapters. I only had difficulty wrapping my mind around the concepts in the first chapter with all the particles. The rest of the book was fathomable and entertaining.



Book #132 Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett (377 pp.)

Ah, yes, THIS is where Pratchett comes off the parodies of fantasy memes and moves into meaningful satire in the Watch series. Glad I reread it, may have to continue this series reread.



Book #133 Provenance by Ann Leckie (440 pp.)

Ah yes, THIS is why I fell in love with science fiction! Engaging protagonist, good side characters, wonderful world-building, action-fiLLED plot, not too complex but quite clever--totally entertaining. I read it straight through on Saturday despite not feeling all that well. Recommended!



Book #134 A Matter of Oaths by Helen S. Wright (328 pp.)

This Kindle book came to my attention via the article below. Written (and forgotten) in 1988, it is being re-released now.

https://www.tor.com/2017/11/21/sleeps-with-monsters-helen-s-wrights-a-matter-of-...

Like Leckie's book, this is science fiction space opera focused on individuals and yet with the scope of a galaxy. People you care about, adventure and action, space ships--another one that was very enjoyable and highly recommended.

Book #135 The Duke and I by Julia Quinn (353 pp.)

This was suggested as a Regency for those suffering from Heyer withdrawal. While not at the level of Heyer (but what is?), this was entertaining enough for a light read. Definitely more sex than a Heyer and the level of repartee not quite there, but I'll continue with the family series.



Book #136 Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman (123 pp.)

This is a delightful little tale grafted onto Norse mythology and with wonderful illustrations.



Book #137 A Plague of Giants by Kevin Hearne (619 pp.)

This was really something. Totally different from the Iron Druid series, this is high epic fantasy with maps and everything, including a super-novel technique for advancing the story and a complex but coherent magic system. Quite good!

I need to read more Pratchett

>73 jfetting: I keep saying that too.

Book #138 Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths by Karen Armstrong (483 pp.)

This is an incredibly detailed history of the physical city under its many, many conquerors. Fascinating, absorbing and ultimately disheartening.

I did not finish (DNF) another library book. I got 66 pages into Created in Darkness by Troubled Americans and had not found anything that really tickled my funny bone, so I've moved on. I did finish my re-read of The Book of Night with Moon by Diane Duane.



Book #139 The Book of Night with Moon by Diane Duane (341 pp.)

This is in the same world as her Young Wizard series but focuses on the feline wizards who maintain the world gates. When the gates start malfunctioning, more is at stake than what is on the surface.



Book #140 Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks by Annie Spence (244 pp.)

Someone read this recently and posted about it and, because it was a book about books and because it had a Ray Bradbury book in the title and because my library had a copy, I put it on hold and read it. Amusing but on a very surface level. Annie's reaction to a given book is often short and flippant, clever but not deep or even that interesting much of the time. I might not have finished it had I not just had a DNF book right before it., but it was a quick and fairly short read, so I did. Not necessarily recommended, though.

Book #141 A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (462 pp.)

I am months behind all the buzz this book occasioned in the 75er group last spring/early summer because the wait list at the library was so long that it took until earlier this month for me to get the book. It came in with a bunch of other reserves, all at once as usual, and I waited until the day before it was due to dip into it. As I had waited so long, I didn't want it to go back unsampled. But that dip turned into a plunge and 26 hours later the story had been consumed, nay, devoured wholesale. What a delightful, charming book! What rich images, delicious words, unforgettable characters! What great footnotes! Actually, I don't think I am waxing overenthusiastic about the story. It was all of that and totally enjoyable. So well constructed without letting the hardware show that you can just lose yourself in the words, and while it is a fable, there is some meat there as well. Did I like it? Oh, yes.

2017 Summary

Books read: 142
Pages read: 47,365
Average pages per day: 333
Average pages per book: 403

New reads: 124
Rereads: 18
Library books: 55
Books off the shelf: 32
New acquisitions read: 2 (purchased new)

Genre:
science fiction 22
fantasy 71
children's 13
nonfiction 23
fiction 3
romance 2
mystery 11

Author gender: 98 female, 46 male

Country of origin: USA 6, England 3

Books acquired: 82
Source: PaperBackSwap-6, Amazon-40 (31 Kindle), gifts-11, Early Reviewers-5, Mysterious Galaxy-15, Other-5
Read: 37
Genre: science fiction-18, fantasy-43, children's-3, nonfiction-16, fiction-2, romance-1, mystery-0
Cost: $425.53

Books out the door: 28

Best of 2017

Nonfiction:

It has been an outstanding year for nonfiction. Out of 23 books read, I easily have a top 5, oops, 6 spanning a wide range of areas.


John Adams by David McCullough
Dancing at the Edge of the World by Ursula Le Guin
The Dark Side by Jane Mayer
Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit
Hidden Figures by Margot Shetterly
Evicted by Matthew Desmond

Top Non-speculative Fiction Reads:

Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Most Fun Reads:

All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Frogkisser! by Garth Nix
Arabella of Mars by David Levine

New Books out by my FAVORITE Authors (all in series):

Within the Sanctuary of Wings by Marie Brennan—final Lady Trent book
The Gathering Edge by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller—Liaden
Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner—Queen’s Thief
The Gates of Tagmeth by P. C. Hodgell—The Kencyrath Chronicles
The Brightest Fell by Seanan McGuire—Toby Daye
Vallista by Steven Brust—Dragaera
The Penric novellas by Lois McMaster Bujold—World of Five Gods

Best SF New to Me:

Provenance by Ann Leckie
A Matter of Oaths by Helen Wright
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

Best Fantasy New to Me:

Heartstone by Elle Katharine White
Borderline by Mishell Baker
A Plague of Giants by Kevin Hearne
Kingfisher by Patricia McKillip