Here’s my list of books read in October:

1. Mrs Hudson and the Spirit’s Curse by Martin Davies (310 p.)
2. Mrs. Hudson and the Malabar Rose by Martin Davies (328 p.) Two “Sherlock Holmes” mysteries told from the POV of the maid, assistant to Mrs. Hudson who, it turns out, is smarter than the famous detective.

3. Sway by Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman (181 p.) How little things can sway decisions…. interesting.

4. Good Night, Mr. Holmes by Carole Nelson Douglas (408 p.)
5. Irene at Large (now known as Soul of Steel) by Carole Nelson Douglas (379 p.)
6. Irene’s Last Waltz (now known as Another Scandal in Bohemia) by Carole Nelson Douglas (480 p.)
7. Castle Rouge by Carole Nelson Douglas (456 p.)
8. Femme Fatale by Carole Nelson Douglas (426 p.)
9. Spider Dance by Carole Nelson Douglas (472 p.) From one set of Sherlock Holmes mysteries to another–longtime favorites of mine, this series follows Irene Adler, opera singer, and the only woman ever to outwit Sherlock Holmes. There are a few entries in the series that I like less than others. (Really, I can do without Jack the Ripper.) But, still, highly enjoyable series.

10. Strip and Knit by Mark Hordyszynski (95 p.) Knitting with strips of fabric. Review is here.

11. Knitter’s Guide to Combining Yarns by Kathleen and Nick Greco (104 p.)

12. Cables: Volume One by Janet Szabo (228 p.)  Fantastic resource for knitting cables. Really great. Review of book is here.

13. Alterknits Felt by Leigh Radford (133 p.) Patterns for felted knits–clever, original. Review of book is here.

14. Continuous Cables by Melissa Leapman (189 p.) Some really nice cabled sweater patterns. Review of book is here.

15. Color Style by Pam Allen and Ann Budd (141 p.) Book of color sweater patterns. Very nice–one of the best in the “Style” series. Review of book is here.

16. Well-Fed Writer by Peter Bowerman (282 p.) A really unique book about freelance writing–it covers a lot of stuff I haven’t seen anywhere else.

17. Angelica by Sharon Shinn (485 p.) From her “Samaria” series, this tells the story of Susannah, an Edori selected to become Angelica, during a time when Samaria is under mysterious attack. Love, love, love this series.

18. In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan (201 p.) A fascinating look at what and why we eat what we eat, and how important it is to get back to basics. I’m all for that!

19. It Itches: A Stash of Knitting Cartoons (111 p.) Adorable cartoons, very funny–even if you don’t knit. Review is here.

20. Die for Love by Elizabeth Peters (274 p.)
21. Naked Once More by Elizabeth Peters (360 p.) Two books with Jacqueline Kirby as the  main character–one that I really enjoy. She’s feisty and resourceful and darned entertaining. Here, she heads off to a Romance Writers convention and immerses herself in schlock, and then decides to write one herself. In the second book, she’s a best-selling author, angling to write the sequel to a longtime favorite book of hers, whose author disappeared mysteriously.

22. Strong Poison by Dorothy Sayers (261 p.) Lord Peter Wimsey meets Harriet Vane–who’s on trial for her life for having killed her lover.

23. Boutique Knits by Laura Irwin A pattern book of stylish accessory patterns. Review is here.

24. Marion’s Wall by Jack Finney (136 p.) So, suppose you came across a lipstick-scrawled message from 1926 buried under layers of wallpaper? And that suddenly, you started seeing the long-deceased starlet herself … and she wanted to continue the career that was cut short?

25. Woodrow Wilson Dime by Jack Finney (115 p.) My least favorite from this book of 3 volumes, but I figured I’d give it a try again–still my least favorite. An alternate universe where our hero finds himself successful and married to an old flame rather than to his boring real life … but I still find him unlikeable. All he wants is what he doesn’t have, regardless of where he is, and he whines…

26. Night People by Jack Finney (167 p.) This short novel has one of my favorite endings of any book–just for the sheer creativity of it. Two couples start wandering around in the middle of the night, enjoying the “differentness” of the familiar world, but run afoul of a disgruntled policeman, and things go badly wrong…

27. The Lark and the Wren by Mercedes Lackey (488 p.) Fantasy book about a neglected girl who runs away to follow her dream of becoming a bard…
28. The Robin & the Kestrel (Bardic Voices, Book 2) by Mercedes Lackey (488 p.) Second “free bard” book–this time about stuttering Kestrel and gypsy Robin, investigating church abuses.

29. Knitting Art by Karen Searle (160 p.) An Art Book with knitting as a medium. Review is here.

30. Teach Yourself Visually Knitting Design by Sharon Turner  (292 p.) Review is here.

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