Books read in November:

1. Sing Them Home: A Novel by Stephanie Kallos. Second novel from the woman who wrote “Broken for You” (which I loved). This was different in feel, telling more than one story simultaneously—the story of three siblings after their father was killed by lightning—but also the story of their mother from when she married their father, was diagnosed with MS, and, oh yes, swept up by a tornado when they were still children. It was interesting and well told (and I loved the mother’s old journal entries), but it didn’t have the same “grab” for me that her other book had.
2. Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn. New book by a favorite author. A stand-alone that tells the story of Zoe, opening with her father’s funeral and the sudden news that she is due to come back to the capital and expected to marry the king. Except it turns out that she is the Prime, the head, of her mother’s family and everything changes.
3. A Posse of Princesses by Sherwood Smith. Light and fluffy YA. Rhis is princess of a small but wealthy kingdom and is invited to a house party—finally giving her a chance to meet other people her age. All goes well until one of her fellow princesses is kidnapped and she and her friends decide to rescue her. (Yes, I know, because that doesn’t stretch credibility at all, huh?) Sounds ridiculous, true, but it was entertaining.
4. 1920: The Year of the Six Presidents by David Pietrusza. Ah, 1920 in the USA—a year when six Presidents (former, current, and future) all made their mark. At least, this was the concept. It made an interesting story because there were lots of things going on in 1920, though I don’t know that the author ever quite made his point that 1920 was central to so many events. (Or, at least, that there haven’t been other years in history that had past, present, and future leaders all participating in big events at once.)
5. Angelica (Samaria, Book 4) by Sharon Shinn. One of her Samaria/angel books, telling the story of Susanna, an Edori taken to live among the angels at a time when Samaria is being invaded by mysterious black men.
6. Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones. I love Jones’ unique combination of magic and comedy. It’s why I keep coming back to them, including this, her latest book.
7. House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones. Ditto. This one takes place in the same world as Howl’s Moving Castle and Castle in the Air, but centers on Charmain, a self-centered girl who suddenly finds herself looking after her uncle’s house, with all its hidden passageways.
8. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. This book is such a delight, with time-travelling historians in Victorian England trying to recover a destroyed artifact from Coventry Cathedral. It’s just so much fun.
9. Mastering Color Knitting: Simple Instructions for Stranded, Intarsia, and Double Knitting by Melissa Leapman. Review here at Knitting Scholar.
10. Wrapped in Lace: Knitted Heirloom Designs from Around the World by Margaret Stove. Review here at Knitting Scholar.
11. The Knitter’s Guide to Hand-Dyed and Variegated Yarn: Techniques and Projects for Handpainted and Multicolored Yarn (Knitters Guide to) by Lorna Miser. Review here at Knitting Scholar.
12. Knitting Block by Block: 150 Blocks for Sweaters, Scarves, Bags, Toys, Afghans, and More by Nicky Epstein. Review here at Knitting Scholar.
13. A Study in Scarlet: The First Sherlock Holmes Mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle.
14. The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle. First Sherlock Holmes story, where Holmes and Watson meet and investigate their first case. The Holmes/Watson part is great. The story of Jefferson Hope and the Mormons? Um, not so much.
15. The Hound of the Baskervilles: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle. One of THE classic Holmes stories, tracking a mysterious hound across the moor.
16. The Valley of Fear: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery (The Sherlock Holmes Collection) by Arthur Conan Doyle. This story gets bogged down, too, when he goes into the history of why the character is being targeted, but still—Holmes and Watson always make for good stories.
17. The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
18. The Two Towers: Being the Second Part of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
19. The Return of the King: Being the Third Part of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. It’s been a couple years since I read this trilogy, and it made for fun reading—though I find I need to be in just the right mood for JRRT’s flowery prose, and it was feeling a little overdone by the time I got to the end. Still—I’ve loved trhis trilogy for decades now, so no complaints.
20. Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King. YA novel that begins with Vera’s ex-best friend’s funeral.

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