Here’s my reading list from June:

1. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (335 p.)
2. Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder (372 p.)
3. On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder (339 p.)
4. By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder (291 p.)
5. The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder (335 p.)
6. Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (308 p.)
7. These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder (289 p.) Well, the Little House books are classics. It was fun revisiting them, and they put a smile on my face, all while reminding me how HARD our ancestors worked and how grateful they were for whatever they had. No expectations of handouts, no sense of entitlement. Wonderful books.

8. Checkmate: Sixth in the Legendary Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett (581 p.) The last of the Lymond series, where all the loose-ends get tied together. Just fabulous.

9. The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge by David McCullough (562 p.) Well, it was its 125th birthday, so I figured now was the time to read this book that I’ve been planning to read for years. Obviously, I knew that they were going to be successful building it, but still, what a great story. And, of course, David McCullough is always fabulous.

10. The Secret of Lost Things by Sheridan Hay (349 p.) I didn’t like this one very much, but it could have just been my frame of mind. Telling the story of an orphaned Tasmanian girl named Rosemary who comes to NY and gets a job in a used bookstore and gets involved with a long-lost rare manuscript … or, something like that. Honestly, I stopped reading around page 83 and wasn’t even interested enough to skim through to the end to see how the story ended.

11. The Teahouse Fire by Ellis Avery (465 p.) Also about an orphaned girl, this time a French-American named Aurelie who ends up in Japan, just as it’s being opened to foreigners in the late 1800s. Interesting, and the culture-shock was intriguing, but I did think the ending was weak–very abrupt–but still, decent.

12. General Winston’s Daughter by Sharon Shinn (342 p.) YA fantasy, telling the story of 18-year old Avery, going to visit her father in Chiarrin, where she immediately embraces as much of its culture as she reasonably can, but all is not well, because there are rebels fighting for their country’s freedom. Averie becomes friends with Jalessa, a young fabric seller. This was very good, with a big twist at the end.

13. The Black Stallion by Walter Farley (187 p)
14. The Black Stallion Returns by Walter Farley (199 p)
15. Son of the Black Stallion by Walter Farley (282 p)
16. Black Stallion and Satan by Walter Farley (178 p)
17. The Black Stallion’s Filly by Walter Farley (242 p)
18. The Black Stallion Revolts by Walter Farley (263 p) Well, you’ve got to visit the old classics once in a while, huh? And still pretty entertaining in that wide-eyed, 1940s boy’s adventure story kind of way–the kind written with lots of action and lots of exclamation points, but which is still just fun. They’re mirrors of their time, but they’re entertaining, and I haven’t read them in years.

19. Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert (263 p.) A look at happiness, and how we as humans do and do not recognize it when we see it, how our brains can’t predict it, and how we misremember it later on. Entertaining AND informative, this was interesting.

20. Beneath the Vaulted Hills by Sean Russell (480 p.)
21. Compass of the Soul by Sean Russell (407 p.) Yet another reread of this duology by one of my favorite authors. In Farrland, a world much like ours at the end of the 18th century, science is gaining strength as men of reason reject the idea of magic and yet, there is still one mage living, the last of his kind, committed to seeing the magical Arts end. But there is a secret group, hidden for centuries, who are just waiting for the last mage to die, so that they can revive the Arts according to their strictures. Now, throw in a pair of inquisitive academics who are convinced there are answers to be found in a series of caves, a man who lived for several years in the mage’s house but has tried ever since to pretend that had never happened, a countess that all men find irresistable, an artist obsessed with her, a church deacon who cannot be trusted … I just love these books. Well written, great story, intriguing, appealing world … just excellent.

22. ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income by Darren Rowse an Chris Garrett (211 p.) Exactly what it sounds like–ways to make blogging make money for you. I read the blog and had to read the book–good, clear, informative, reasonable. I can’t tell you one way or another how well the instructions WORK since I have yet to try “monetizing” any of my blogs, but it certainly sounds interesting–and possible!

23. Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley (247 p.) Another reread of a delightful YA book–A sweet variation on Beauty and the Beast with all likable characters, no real villains, and just a good story. Refreshing and charming.

24. House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones (404 p.) A YA/fantasy sequel to Howl’s Moving Castle, Charmain–a fairly selfish girl who just wants to sit and READ (no, no, I couldn’t relate to her at all) has to go look after her great-uncle’s house while he recovers from surgery. But, of course, it’s not that simple. Her great-uncle is a wizard, and the house is a labyrinth of magically-hidden passages. And the kobolds who do much of the maintenance are on strike, and an unexpected apprentice who can’t seem to work any spell at all shows up, and, really, all Charmain wants to do is spend time with the BOOKS. Charming, and it was nice to see Sophie and Howl again, and dog, Waif? Adorable….

25. Magic’s Pawn (The Last Herald-Mage Series, Book 1) by Mercedes Lackey (349 p.)
26. Magic’s Promise (The Last Herald-Mage Series, Book 2) by Mercedes Lackey (320 p.)
27. Magic’s Price (The Last Herald-Mage Series, Book 3) by Mercedes Lackey (336 p.) A fantasy trilogy which tells the rather tragic story of Vanyel, the last Herald-Mage. This is actually the set of books of hers I ever read, and I like to revisit them from time to time. Good story, but the ending always makes me sniffle.

28. The Fight for English: How Language Pundits Ate, Shot, and Left by David Crystal (222 p.) What a fascinating book. It takes the premise that the “take no prisoner” attitude of grammar pundits is detrimental to the language. The first half of the book is a fairly straight-forward look at the history of the various attempts to stablilize English usage over the last few centuries. But the second half is where it soars–so fascinating. It made me think, which is always good, and his reasoning is sound–that rules are helpful, but that it’s more important to understand why they’re there in the first place. That learning the POINT of grammar is more important than blindly following the rules. Great.

29. Balance of Trade (A Liaden Universe Novel) by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (451 p.) A YA sci-fi book that tells the story of Jethri Gobelyn, a young Terran trader who gets apprenticed to a Liaden Master Trader. It’s just a darn good story. But then, you already know how much I enjoy the Liaden stories (grin).

30. Dragonseye by Anne McCaffrey (353 p.) A stand-alone book in her Pern series, telling about Pern’s preparations for the Second Pass of the Red Star. Not one of the best in the series, but by no means the worst, either. Pleasant enough, and Iantine and Debera are appealing.

31. Little House Sampler by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane (243 p.) A collection of writings and reminiscences of these two authors. These days, most people just know about Laura’s writing, but her daughter Rose was actually much more famous until the “Little House” books swept through the school system (grin). Nice collection.

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Here’s what I read in May:

1. The Serpent on the Crown by Elizabeth Peters (350 p.)
2. Tomb of the Golden Bird by Elizabeth Peters (381 p.) The last two “Amelia Peabody” mysteries. I read through most of the series last month. Delectable series, although the earlier books are better, I think.

3. The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby (209 p.) Exactly what it sounds like–a book on photography. Each page is a tip or a method written as simple advice, as if you and the author were out on a shoot together. Lots of useful hints, though many of them require a DSLR to use … but not all of them! Short, simple, helpful.

4. A Fine Fleece: Knitting with Handspun Yarns by Lisa Lloyd (156 p.) Tips on preparing and spinning a fleece, and then patterns for using the yarn–including some very nice patterns. Good book, though I wish some of the sweater photos were less “artistic” and more practical in terms of seeing the actual shape of the sweater.

5. Search the Dark by Charles Todd (310 p.) Second Inspector Rutlege book, taking place just after WWI. I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first one, a nice, intelligent mystery with an engaging lead character who’s stricken with a post-traumatic-stress-syndrome ghost of his very own who “comments” on the case as it moves along.

6. Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition) by Bryan Peterson (158 p.) Another photography book, and a really good one. It explains very clearly, with some lovely photos as illustration, what exactly “exposure” is in a photograph and the whys and hows of taking advantage of it. I was really impressed with this one.

7. The Big Over Easy: A Nursery Crime by Jasper Fforde (382 p.)
8. The Fourth Bear: A Nursery Crime by Jasper Fforde (378 p.) Ah, Jasper Fforde, with his wacky and totally unique sense of humor. These are his two “Nursery Crime” books–in the first, Detective Jack Spratt (with his new assistant, Constable Mary Mary) investigates the mysterious death of Humpty Dumpty, and in the second, he looks into the disappearance of an investigative reporter known to her friends as Goldilocks… Silly, funny, totally creative. I admit that I like the Thursday Next books better, but, really, no complaints. These were both highly enjoyable.

9. The Game of Kings (Lymond Chronicles, 1) by Dorothy Dunnett (543 p.)
10. Queens’ Play (Lymond Chronicles, 2) by Dorothy Dunnett (432 p.) The first two of the Lymond Chronicle books–one of the best historical fiction series ever (in my own, personal opinion). These two are almost stand-alones, telling a more-or-less self-contained story in each, but laying a lot of the background needed to appreciate later books in the series. I like the second one a little better–the first one always takes me a while to “get into,” but really, they’re both so good, who cares? Elaborate, multi-layered, you can never be sure what’s going on or who (since the author is ruthless) is going to get killed next, they’re just fabulous books.

11. Mystic and Rider (The Twelve Houses, Book 1) by Sharon Shinn (440 p.)
12. The Thirteenth House (The Twelve Houses, Book 2) by Sharon Shinn (423 p.)
13. Dark Moon Defender (The Twelve Houses, Book 3) by Sharon Shinn (435 p.)
14. Reader and Raelynx (The Twelve Houses, Book 4) by Sharon Shinn (420 p.) The “Twelve Houses” series by Sharon Shinn. Now it’s no secret that I adore Sharon Shinn, though these may not be my favorite of her books–they are much more classic kind of fantasy than some of her others–quest, magic, swordplay–and yet they’re still well worth the read. Each book has a love story at its heart, without being at all a “romance” kind of book. The love stories aren’t the point, they just add extra zing to the story of a world where there are mystics who are gifted with magic by the gods, and those who are fantatically against them and rebelling against the king. Good books, definitely enjoyable.

15. The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism by Megan Marshall (452 p.) A biography of a trio of sisters–Elizabeth, Mary, and Sophie–who were each instrumental in the Transcendetalism movement that swept through New England (and elsewhere) in the mid 1800’s. Fascinating women of whom I’d never heard before. Really good biography. Interesting.

16. The Disorderly Knights by Dorothy Dunnett (503 p.)
17. Pawn in Frankincense by Dorothy Dunnett (486 p.) The next two books in the Lymond Chronicles. These two rather work as a pair because they both center on Francis Crawford trying to outwit and defeat the same villain.

18. Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together by Larissa Brown & Martin John Brown (154 p.) A very nice book about the social aspects of knitting–whether from people sitting and knitting together, knitting for the same cause, or knitting the same pattern via an internet-base knitalong, it examines why there is such appeal for knitting WITH someone else. Interesting and enjoyable, with some patterns, too.

19. Nikon D40/D40x Digital Field Guide by David D Busch (230 p.) Exactly what it sounds like–a full-length guide to using all the features on my new camera.

20. The Ringed Castle by Dorothy Dunnett (521 p.) Fifth Lymond Chronicle book, with him now the head of the Russian army under Ivan the Terrible, and his on-paper-only bride settling in at the English court of Queen Mary and looking into Francis’ “irregular” background.

21. Aunt Maria by Diana Wynne Jones (214 p.) Mig, her brother and mother go to visit her father’s aunt–a sweetly manipulative woman who may actually be evil… and be able to turn people into animals!

22. Dealing with Dragons: The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Book One by Patricia Wrede (212 p.)
23. Searching for Dragons: The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Book Two by Patricia Wrede (242 p.) The first two books of this engaging little series (and my favorites). They’re kind of a spoof on a classic fairy tale where the princess gets captured by a dragon and rescued by a prince–because in this case, the princess is actually bored with embroidery lessons and volunteers to become a dragon’s princess, and happily settles down to organize her treasure and library and chase off any knights who come to “rescue” her. Funny and light, they are YA books and simply fun.

24. Little House in the Big Woods Book and Charm (Charming Classics) by Laura Ingalls Wilder (238 p.) Well, it’s a classic–the very first “Little House” book from when the Ingalls family still lived in Wisconsin and Laura was 4-5 years old. Sweet. Wholesome. Classic. And the Garth Williams’ illustrations? Perfection.

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Here are the books I read in April.

1. The Mummy Case by Elizabeth Peters (313 p.)
2. Lion in the Valley by Elizabeth Peters (310 p.)
3. The Deeds of the Disturber by Elizabeth Peters (289 p.)
4. The Last Camel Died at Noon by Elizabeth Peters (430 p.)
5. The Snake, the Crocodile & the Dog by Elizabeth Peters (436 p.)
6. The Hippopotamus Pool by Elizabeth Peters (356 p.)
7. Seeing a Large Cat by Elizabeth Peters (386 p.)
8. The Ape Who Guards the Balance by Elizabeth Peters (376 p.)
9. The Falcon at the Portal by Elizabeth Peters (366 p.)
10. He Shall Thunder in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters (400 p.)
11. Lord of the Silent by Elizabeth Peters (404 p.)
12. The Golden One by Elizabeth Peters (429 p.)
13. Children of the Storm by Elizabeth Peters (400 p.)
Yes–I pretty much read my way through the Amelia Peabody series–the intrepid Victorian Egyptologist, her husband Emerson and her precocious son Ramses. I skipped the first two books which are my least favorite, but then just read and read for books and books. And, honestly, Ramses as a child? One of my favorite characters ever. Still, I can’t believe I spent an entire month on one series… (grin)

14. Things I Learned From Knitting (Whether I Wanted To or Not) by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (159 p.) A series of comical life-lessons, courtesy of the Yarn Harlot. Amusing and altogether too true, but I’ll admit, this wasn’t my favorite of her books. But, since it’s Stephanie and filled with her usual wit, I liked it anyway! Just, maybe not quite as much as some of her others.

15. Charlie Wilson’s War: The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest Man in Congress and a Rogue CIA Agent Changed the History of Our Times by George Crile (523 p.) I’d been curious about this ever since I saw the movie last year, and enjoyed the book quite a lot. The hidden story behind the CIA’s part in the Russian/Afghanistan war of the early 1980s. Who knew? Well-written, entertaining, and quite a good story to boot.

16. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch (246 p.) Yes, a little band-wagonish of me, but honestly, this collection of life wisdom and stories by a dying professor is wonderful. And, if you didn’t see his Last Lecture, by all means, take the 70 minutes and watch. Very bittersweet, because he’s facing his death with such optimism, and is so wholly focused on his 3 little kids.

17. Complete Idiot’s Guide to Photography by Woodson (253 p.) Just what it sounds, though my copy more or less pre-dates digital photography. Kind of old, but I wanted to revisit it.

18. Mandy by Julie (Andrews) Edwards (279 p.) This was the “trip book” Mom and I read together on Martha’s Vineyard. My sister got her own, hardcover copy when it was published back when we were little and she and I both loved it, but Mom had never read it. So, obviously, that needed to change. This is a sweet little story of an orphan who climbs over the wall behind the orphanage’s orchard and finds a little abandone cottage and decides to adopt it for herself. Very sweet.

19. Photoshop for Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby (349 p.) Well, I’ve already raved about this one. What fantastic tips and tricks for making photos better!

20. Teach Yourself Photography by Lee Smith (146 p.) Another photography book pulled out of the back of the library. More useful than the other one since it talks (and shows) more about how to see good pictures and then capture them. But, still, it’s a film-photography book and I haven’t picked up a film camera in years, so it’s not AS useful as it could be (grin)

• Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading • Permalink:Books from April // 5 Comments »

Here are the books I read in March:

1. All the Weyrs of Pern by Anne McCaffrey (404 p.) The last of the “good” Pern books, in my opinion–one of my favorite sci-fi series. Here, the people of Pern finally beat Thread once and for all….

2. Song of the Beast by Carol Berg (467 p.) Her books usually come in series, but this one is a stand-alone. Aidan–cousin to the king and master bard–has spent the last 17 years in prison for reasons he doesn’t understand. Now, he is free but hunted by the dragon handlers who seem to hold a grudge. Carol Berg writes a masterful fantasy book, almost always filled with heartache and suffering, and this one certainly fits … very good.

3. Crystal Soldier by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (321 p.)
4. Crystal Dragon by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (359 p.) These are the two “Pre-Liaden” books, telling the story of Liaden’s far-distant beginnings, how Cantra yos’Phelium and M. Jela meet and ride the luck to help save the galaxy. Excellent sci-fi, though I prefer the “real” Liaden books better, if only because I so like the settled world they created first. I enjoy reading about these beginnings, but love reading the core books more.

5. The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope (266 p.) A YA book that I would have loved when I was 12 but kind of bored me as an adult. Peggy is newly-orphaned and sent to her family’s home in New England where she’s soundly ignored by her uncle but visited by Colonial-era ghosts who tell her their story … So disappointing–if only I’d discovered it 30 years ago.

6. Dark Watcher by Lilith Saintcrow (186 p.) A modern, urban fantasy book. Theodora is a greatly-gifted witch being hunted (unbeknownst to her), and has been assigned a Watcher named Dante to keep her safe. Good enough book though I didn’t love it–but then, urban fantasy isn’t my favorite.

7. Standing Still by Kelly Simmons (262 p.) Claire suffers from panic attacks, but when she finds an intruder about to kidnap her daughter from her bed, she asks that he take her instead–which he does. This is a first novel by a fellow knitter (I heard about it on Ravelry first) and was very good. Not as intense as the premise sounds, it’s really a very … mellow … kind of story, restricted almost entirely to the hotel room where Claire is held captive. It’s not a daring-escape, edge-of-your-seat kind of story, but it was good. (Which, since it got a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly is pretty much what you’d expect, right?)

8. Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb (662 p.) Fantasy, first in a series. Fitz has been living a quiet, isolated life for years, but suddenly is brought back to Court by a threat to the Prince … standard kind of fantasy, well-done, enjoyable enough.
9. The Arm of the Stone by Victoria Strauss (426 p.) Also fantasy. Imagine that the gifts of mind power (telepathy, and so on) used to be part of our world until The Stone was stolen and all the magical towns and people suddenly were in a splintered alternate world? And that that world cracked down on any technological advances as blasphemy? And that one family was destined, in secret, to reclaim the stone that had once belonged to their ancestor? This was really excellent.

10. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (309 p.)
11. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (341 p.)
12. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (345 p.)
13. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (734 p.)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (870 p.)
14. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
14. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling–Just this little, YA fantasy series you might have heard of? I’m pretty proud of myself for resisting rereading book seven since I read it in July, and thoroughly enjoyed reading the entire series from beginning to end.

15. Wood: Craft, Culture, History by Harvey Green (405 p.) Exactly what it sounds like–a history of wood, its uses, and how the need of it has affected human development. Informative, well-researched, nicely-written, but not exactly gripping as a story (grin). Still, it was interesting to learn that “hardwood” and “softwood” are not actually defined by the relative strength of the woods, but by the way the trees actually grow. I had no idea–I had just always assumed that hardwood was, well, hard!

16. Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermeyer (320 p.) First in an epistolary trilogy–written in the form of letters between two cousins in post-Napoleonic England in an alternate world where magic actually exists. Charming. Fun. Good read.

17. Escaping Into the Open: The Art of Writing True by Elizabeth Berg (223 p.) A very nice book about writing–tips on how to write, how to discipline yourself to write, how to find inspiration … all that.

18. No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin (636 p.) Excellent–which, since it won the Pulitzer, shouldn’t be surprising. This tells the story of the Roosevelts during WWII and was fascinating. They certainly had an interesting marriage, but, wow, was Eleanor ever a woman ahead of her time. I’ve never really read a book about her, even though she’s always mentioned on lists of “great women,” and just based on this book alone I’m incredibly impressed. Fascinating story–this is exactly the kind of history book I like best. Stories of the people and personal interactions going on and the way they affected the bigger events unfolding. Because, really, if you don’t know about the people, the rest is just names and dates, right?

19. The Grand Tour by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevemeyer (469 p.) The second of this trilogy–Kate and Cecy are now married and travelling together on their wedding journey, when they (and their husbands) stumble on a mysterious plot focusing on various magical ruins about Europe. I don’t think this is as good as the first book, but part of that is because they’re not letters. Instead, Kate is writing in her journal and Cecy is telling her story as part of a deposition–it loses that personal connection of telling the events to someone. But still, enjoyable.

20. The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevemeyer (328 p.) Third of the trilogy and it takes place ten years later–another mystery but this time with added children. At least it’s back to direct-address letters again, this time with Thomas and James (the husbands) chiming in with their own. Good, but the first book is still the best.

21. The Garden of the Stone by Victoria Strauss (485 p.) The sequel to The Arm of the Stone, and definitely the weaker of the two. It takes place about 30 years after the first book and focuses on Cariad, Bron’s daughter who has never met him but has been trained as an assassin and wants nothing more than to kill Jolyon for his part in her parents’ downfall. This had its moments but I don’t think it was nearly as good as the first one–Cariad and her story just wasn’t as interesting as Bron’s story in the earlier book, and the best part of this one was when Konstant finds Bron in “our” world….

22. Clean House Clean Planet by Karen Logan (281 p.) Exactly what it sounds like–a book about how to clean things with environmentally-sound products. As in, instead of using harsh detergents that just leach into the world’s water supply, things you can use instead to clean anything from your floor to your furniture to your bathroom to your jewelry. Now I just need some spray bottles to mix some of my own….

23. A Test of Wills by Charles Todd (305 p.) Mystery, first in its series, with Inspector Rutledge taking the lead. It’s 1919 and he’s just back from WWI and suffering from “shell-shock” (aka Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) but struggling to pick up his life as a Scotland Yard inspector. Very good mystery. Enjoyed it a lot.

• Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading • Permalink:Books from March // 4 Comments »

Okay, here’s my reading list from the month of February. As you can see, I went on a nostalgia kick….

1. The Song Reader by Lisa Tucker (306 p) Teenager Leeann narrates this book about her older sister, who is convinced that the songs that run through people’s heads are the key to their troubles . . . until things fall apart. A really enjoyable book, the author nicely captures the early 1980s and the bonds holding these two sisters together. And, really, Mary Beth might have been on to something about the ear-worm thing….

2. The Keeping Days by Norma Johnston (238 p.)
3. Glory in the Flower by Norma Johnston (198 p) YA. The first two (and the best) books in the “Keeping Days” series–these are classics, centering around Tish Sterling growing up in Queens around 1900, with her opinionated, high-tempered family. I’ve been huge fans of these books since I was about 13 and like to pull them out to reread them every now and again. The first one introduces Tish and her family, her sister Bronwyn’s courtship by two men (or, really, every man that meets her), Tish’s budding friendship with a neighborhood boy that loves books as much as she does, her clashes with her strong-minded mother . . . The second one centers around the high school’s production of “Romeo and Juliet,” and has always pretty much perfectly described the “sensitive, misunderstood” self-centered chaos that even the most generous teenager has to deal with. There are more books to this series but they are ALL out of print these days, and only the first two have triggered the desire for me to hunt down copies for my own library. They’re definitely worth it, though.

4. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (309 p.)
5. Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery (207 p.)
6. Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery (244 p.)
7. Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery (258 p.)
8. Anne’s House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery (230 p.)
9. Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery (277 p.)
10. Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery (225 p.)
11. Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery (277 p.) YA. It’s been a loooong time since I read through the entire “Anne” series–usually I stop after the original trilogy–but the stars were aligned, and so I read all seven . . . ranging from Anne’s arrival at Green Gables as an imaginative, 11-year old orphan, through her courtship, her marriage, and her motherhood to five equally imaginative children. The final book focuses on her daughter Rilla, growing up during WWI, and makes a great end to the series. Books 5 and 6, which focus more on Anne’s children have never been my favorites, but there’s something about the strength of character that comes through–for everybody–in that final book that redeems them all. Although, really, it’s the first three that are by far the best. The complete collection of “Anne” books can be bought as a group right here.

12. Becoming Jane Austen by Jon Spence (246 p.) Biography of Jane Austen, and the one which the movie was loosely based on. It’s not the first bio I’ve read, but it was very readable, and very clear. A good book which stresses the various pressures she was under to marry (or not) and to write (or not).

13. Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott (258 p.)
14. Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott (311 p.) Children/YA. The two books focusing on Rose Campbell and her seven bonnie, blond, high-spirited cousins. The first book takes place when Rose is 13 and newly-orphaned, and being brought back to health and sense by her all-wise Uncle Alec. The second is years later, just before she comes into her inheritance, and as she’s being courted by all and sundry. Now, these are sweet, wholesome books (and the first is better than the second). But they are rather TOO sweet. A little too preachy and moralistic as Miss Alcott teaches us all these important lessons about health over vanity and self-sacrifice over selfishness . . . I’ve loved Louisa May Alcott since I was a child, but I find my tolerance for her particular brand of sweetness is much lower than it used to be. I described it as comparable to eating sticky, sweet cinnamon buns–one is delicious, but more than that? As a child, that much sugar cannot be anything but good, but as an adult . . . one (or two) at a time is really enough. Still. I’ve always liked Rose, and I have an inkling that it’s thanks to Uncle Alec that I still mostly eat Oatmeal for breakfast almost every day.

15. Once Upon a Day: A Novel by Lisa Tucker (342 p.) An interesting novel–it starts by telling Dorothea’s story–she’s been raised on an isolated estate in New Mexico with her brother–no television, no computers, and lots and lots of safety restrictions by their father–no knives, no climbing trees, no staying in the sun for more than 20 minutes at a time, no pets because they might bite. You get the idea. When her brother grew up, he left, and then Dorothea’s father got sick . . . so she left to try to find her brother, whose last known address was Missouri. There are a lot of interwoven stories, here–telling the story of Dorothea’s search for her brother, but also telling the story of their (dead?) mother, how she met their father, and what led up to his taking the children to such a remote place, and also Stephen–the widowed cab-driver who helps Dorothea find her brother, and Janet, who had been their mother’s best friend . . . Good book.

16. The Salterton Trilogy: Tempest-Tost by Robertson Davies (242 p.)
17. The Salterton Trilogy: Leaven of Malice by Robertson Davies (220 p.) The first two books of the Salterton Trilogy. The first tells about an amateur theater production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and the second about a prank of an engagement announcement in the local paper of two people who barely know each other . . . and the ensuing chaos when the girl’s father takes it personally and threatens to sue the paper for libel . . . I really love Robertson Davies’ books and find his interesting blend of scholarly writing plus humor plus interesting characters and situations to be fascinating, but in just about all his trilogies, there’s always one book out of each that I don’t particularly care for. Luckily, though, you can get full enjoyment out of the other books on their own . . . And, really, I’ve always rather enjoyed reading about Solly and Veronica’s response to that engagement-announcement predicament.

18. Dream When You’re Feeling Blue: A Novel by Elizabeth Berg (276 p.). Taking place in Chicago during WWII, and following the Heaney sisters as they write letters to their men overseas (one sister’s fiance, one sister’s hopes-to-be-fiance, and then the third sister’s revolving list of penpals). Told from Kitty’s point of view, it follows her growth as a woman throughout the war, leading up to a sacrifice for one of her family members … Good, but sad. (Oh, and the blurb on the back of the book–annoyingly mixes the names of the soldiers the two sisters are writing to, saying that Julian is Louise’s fiance and Michael is Kitty’s boyfriend, when the names are reversed. It’s not quite so bad as the glaring error in the title of the book I got in October, but still . . . don’t people check these things??)

19. Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley (342 p.) YA book in a somewhat alternate-universe America where dragons are real and endangered but it is just as illegal to help one as to hurt one, Jake, 15 when the book begins, finds a dying dragon, killed by a poacher beside her newborn babies. He takes the one, still-alive dragonet to try to save her life and thus begins the long process of trying to keep her a secret. As always, Robin McKinley is just wonderful.

20. The Places In Between by Rory Stewart (297 p.) The true story of the author’s walk across Afghanistan. I found it interesting and his writing style is engaging, but I wasn’t as entranced as the blurbs on the cover led me to hope that I would be. Still, good book.

21. Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley (306 p.) The second retelling of the story “Beauty and the Beast,” which is interesting just in itself–that she chose to tell the same, basic story twice. I tend to like the first one a little more, but still, this is a lovely little book with a good story and wonderful story-telling.

22. Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn (355 p.) Fantasy book by one of my favorite authors. Cori is a half-blood noble who lives most of her time in her Grandmother’s humble cottage, learning to be an herbalist, but during the summers, she visits at Castle Auburn, admiring the dashing Prince Bryan, and adoring her sister Elisandra, who’s betrothed to him. As Cori gets older, though, she starts seeing signs that Bryan is not perhaps as wonderful as she’d thought him, and she begins to dread her sister’s marrying him…

23. Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey (188 p.) The first Pern book, and in terms of writing, it’s not the best, but it lays the foundation for the rest of the series and is therefore a must. To save the world, F’lar and Lessa must convince everyone that the dangerous Thread that falls from space are due to start their cycle of destruction again, despite a long interval of 400 years since the last time. Not only that, but they must figure out how one, understaffed weyr of dragons can do the job that had been handled by five in the past…

24. Dragonquest by Anne McCaffrey (320 p.) Book two, and with the true “voice” of Anne McCaffrey. Taking place 8 years after the first, things have settled into routine, but there are political problems now, as well as practical ones–like, is it possible to visit the Red Star and eliminate Thread at the source?

25. White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey (296 p.) Book three, focusing this time on young Lord Holder Jaxon, rider of Ruth, the sport white dragon. This has always been my favorite of the original “set.” Jaxom is an engaging young fellow, and the tease at the end as he and the other characters discover Landing–the original settlement from when men arrived on Pern thousands of years ago–is delectable.

26. The Renegades of Pern by Anne McCaffrey (384 p.) The next Pern book in the timeline and, while not one of the best, it’s an important transition to the next “phase” of the story. And the last third of it is great.

• Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading • Permalink:Books from February // 8 Comments »

Here’s my remarkably short reading list from January:

1. INITIATE BROTHER by Sean Russell (480 p.) Book one, set in a quasi-medieval, China-like world. The emperor, in an ill-conceived plot to bring down the Shonto house, has arranged for barbarians to invade . . . not realizing that the Khan plans to take the very throne itself. Shonto and Shuyun, his young Botahist Spiritual Advisor are determined to save the empire.

2. GATHERER OF CLOUDS by Sean Russell (604 p.) Book two. Civil war has broken out, with the Shonto trying to stall the massive barbarian army to give the emperor time to raise his own army. Meanwhile, the Botahist brotherhood has signs that the enlightened Master they’ve been waiting for for centuries has appeared . . . could Shuyun be the Master? These two books–the first by this author–are just remarkable. Great story, great writing, masterful, and interesting. I just gave you perhaps the most boring synopses, but trust me, these are fabulous books. Sean Russell is on my “Why can’t he write faster, for God’s sake?” list of authors

3. ACCOMPLICE by Elizabeth Ironside (355 p.) A gentle, English mystery, tying Russian emigrees to old, Russian royalty, and, oh yes, a child’s body discovered in the backyard . . .

4. PROMISED LAND by Connie Willis and Cynthia Felice (362 p.) Sci-fi, space-opera-ish kind of book. Delanna returns to her home planet for the first time in years, only to find that she can’t leave without forfeiting her inheritance . . . and that she’s been married by a long-standing contract between her father and her neighbor… Light, but enjoyable.

5. HELLSPARK by Janet Kagan (329 p.) Okay, imagine a universe where every, single culture has rules and taboos that are anaethema to some other culture–one society considers bare feet to be immoral, another is insulted by a person approaching from their right side–things like that. It would be chaos but for the Hellsparks, who can communicate fluently with each culture’s “tells.” Now, throw in a newly-discovered planet with a very-diversified exploration team, a mysterious death of one of the members, a possibly-sapient native species, and, oh yes, a computer who seems rather sapient herself. …

6. TIPPING POINT by Malcolm Gladwell (280 p.) Oh, this was interesting. An exploration of the factors that cause various trends, fashions, diseases, etc to “tip” into epidemic–whether it’s the popularity of Hush Puppies shoes, or Cabbage Patch dolls–something has to push or nudge the trend into full-blown epidemic. Really interesting, enjoyable read.

7. REDEMPTION OF ALTHALUS by David and Leigh Eddings (726 p.) A stand-alone fantasy book. Althalus, a master thief, is hired to steal a book from the House at the End of the World and ends up fighting to save the world from evil. Standard Eddings material and characters, enjoyable enough, but just “okay.”

8. ANGELICA by Sharon Shinn (485 p.) You already know I love Sharon Shinn’s world of Samaria, where angels are real people who pray to Jovah for medicines and weather changes, while Jovah communicates with his oracles by means of a glass-faced “interface.” Well, in this, the earliest book of the time-line, Samaria has been invaded by violent people who can throw destructive fire and destroy entire camps and villages in a matter of moments–will Gaaron and his new angelica, Susannah, be able to save their world?

9. BIG RED FEZ: How To Make Any Web Site Better by Seth Godin (111 p.) A short but very informative little book–on every left page is a picture of a website and on every right page is an explanation of what’s right or wrong about that page, and what could be done to make it better. Short and sweet.

10. THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON MUSIC: The Science of a Human Obsession by Daniel J. Levitin (267 p.) Exactly what it sounds like–an examination of what it is about music that hooks us so, why we get so caught up in the rhythm and melody, no matter what our culture. Well-written and fascinating.

11. ARCHANGEL by Sharon Shinn (390 p.) The original Samaria novel–Gabriel has been instructed to find and wed Rachel, who has been enslaved for the last five years. They continually fight but must work together to make sure that Raphael steps down as Archangel at the end of his term–something which he is determined not to do.

12. ANGEL SEEKER by Sharon Shinn (483 p.) Coming shortly after “Archangel,” the angel Obadiah meets and falls in love with the very-sheltered, Jansai Rebeccah….

13. JOVAH’S ANGEL by Sharon Shinn (389 p.) Second in the original trilogy–Jovah is having trouble hearing the angel’s prayers and so storms tear across Samaria, and in one, the Archangel is dashed to the ground, disabling her. Alleluia is named to replace her and must find some way to make Jovah hear them again.

14. ALLELUIA FILES by Sharon Shinn (474 p.) The final Samaria book–a century later, Samarian society is being torn apart by the radical idea that their god, Jovah, might actually be a spaceship…

15. MINDLESS EATING: Why We Eat More Than We Think by Brian Wansink (249 p.) Fascinating book that examines all the ways we eat more or serve more than we think we are–all the tricks that restaurants use, the ways our eyes fool our brains when judging portions . . . really fascinating. Not to mention entertaining and well-written, which made it a good read all on its own.

I know. Only 15 books. I haven’t had a month with so few books since November 2002! It sounds better by page count, though–those 15 books total 5,666 pages.

• Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading • Permalink:Books from January // 8 Comments »

Here’s my reading list from December:

1. LOCKED ROOMS by Laurie R. King (495 p.) The most recent of the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes books, and my favorite of the later books. In this one, she and Holmes visit San Francisco for the first time since her family was killed a decade earlier, but someone seems to be trying to kill her–could her parents’ deaths not have been an accident?

2. CAPRICE AND RONDO by Dorothy Dunnett (539 p.)House of Niccolo book 7. Having met with disaster at the end of book 6, Nicholas tries to make a new life in Poland and the Slavic states, travelling with his old friend Julius and his wife Anna . . . while back home, his estranged wife starts looking into his past….

3. PAT OF SILVER BUSH by L.M. Montgomery (278 p.)
4. MISTRESS PAT by L.M. Montgomery (277 p.) These two are a pair of books by the author of Anne of Green Gables and tells the story of Pat, who dearly loves her home and wants nothing more than to stay home forever and care for it.

5. JANE OF LANTERN HILL by L.M. Montgomery (217 p.) Jane is growing up miserably in Toronto with her mother and her cold grandmother, then one day, she gets a letter from her father, inviting her to Prince Edward Island for the summer, where suddenly, she blooms…. Sweet story.

6. CONRAD’S FATE by Diana Wynne Jones (375 p.)
7. PINHOE EGG by Diana Wynne Jones (515 p.) Two of her YA fantasy books in the Chrestomanci world. Light, fun, entertaining.

8. HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE by Diana Wynne Jones (212 p.)
9. CASTLE IN THE AIR by Diana Wynne Jones (299 p.) Two more YA fantasy books, based on traditional fairy tales, kind of, but with her unique outlook and sense of fun.

10. PEGASUS IN FLIGHT by Anne McCaffrey (290 p.)
11. PEGASUS IN SPACE by Anne McCaffrey (373 p.) So, suppose it was the not-too-distant future, and futher suppose that psychic gifts like telepathy and telekinesis were real, measurable talents. Now, throw in a world-wide effort to build a space station, and a base on the moon, and a powerfully-motivated paraplegic…. I’ve always liked these books, precursors of her “Talent and Hive” series.

12. EXILE’S SONG by Marion Zimmer Bradley (493 p.)
13. SHADOW MATRIX by Marion Zimmer Bradley (556 p.)
14. TRAITOR’S SUN by Marion Zimmer Bradley (534 p.) A trilogy written by Deborah Ross and the late Marion Zimmer Bradley, taking place on her world of Darkover, a “backwards” planet with psychic gifts . . . a complete surprise to Margaret Alton when she returns to the world of her birth for the first time after spending most of her life at a Terran University.

15. GEMINI by Dorothy Dunnett (672 p.) The eighth and final book in the House of Niccolo Series. It’s a huge book, both in pages and in scope. It ties up loose ends to the series that you didn’t even realize were loose until you read them. A massive undertaking, and quite the cap to an amazing historical fiction series. I always say that nobody wrote historical fiction like Dorothy Dunnett.

16. RUN by Ann Patchett (295 p.) A Christmas-present book by an author that pretty much never disappoints. I very much enjoyed this. Two black boys were adopted by a well-off white family and have grown into handsome, intelligent young men. Then one snowy night, a car almost hits one of the boys, but he’s pushed out of the way by a woman and, when she’s when she’s taken to the hospital, they step up to look after her daughter. Awful description of a really good book.

17. TALK TO THE HAND by Lynne Truss (202 p.) What has happened to manners these days? Respect and consideration for other people? Any semblance of civilized behavior? Well, here’s your answer… Enjoyable and informative.

18. PERMISSION MARKETING by Seth Godin (240 p.) A discussion on the difference between traditional, “interruption marketing” where ads and marketing schemes try to distract your attention to make you buy something and “permission marketing,” where you build a relationship with your potential buyers and never pressure them to buy.

19. KNITTER’S BOOK OF YARN by Clara Parkes (252 p.) Exactly what it sounds like–a discussion about yarn. Fibers, spinning methods, plies, and the characteristics of all of them. Good reference and some good patterns.

20. LEAVE ME ALONE, I’M READING by Maureen Corrigan (184 p.) A retrospective journey through books the author’s read and loved over the years. Enjoyable tone, nicely written, and it doesn’t really matter that I’d never read many of the books. Sometimes, in books like these, it matters a lot because the author will mention the title and then go on as if you’ve read the book as many times as she has . . . this author doesn’t do that, so it’s possible to read about her feelings on, say, Dashiell Hammett, without having ever read any of his books yourself. Good book.

• Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading • Permalink:Books Read in December // 3 Comments »

Okay, here are my favorites from 2007. For the purposes of this list, my rule is that I have to have read the book for the first time this year, regardless of whether the book was actually new this year. So, something like War and Peace would count because I’ve never read it, but of course, it doesn’t qualify because I still actually haven’t. Clear as mud? Great. Let’s get on with it:

And, oh yes, books appear in the order of their appearance in my reading log–they’re not alphabetical or in sequence of most-to-least favorite, or anything like that. It’s just the order they showed up in my life.

Fiction:

• DEATH IN THE GARDEN by Elizabeth Ironside (274 p.)
• I AM THE MESSENGER by Markus Zusak (357 p.)
• PASSAGE by Connie Willis (780 p.)
• HOUSEKEEPING by Marilynne Robinson (213 p.)
• LOST AND FOUND by Jacqueline Sheehan (278 p.)
• POCKETFUL OF NAMES by Joe Coomer (413 p.)
• LOVE WALKED IN by Marisa de los Santos (307 p.)
• AUSTENLAND by Shannon Hale (194 p.) (fluffy, but cute)
• HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS by JK Rowling (759 p.)
• FIRST AMONG SEQUELS by Jasper Fforde (362 p.)
• WESTING GAME by Ellen Raskin (182 p.)
• DRAGONHAVEN by Robin McKinley (342 p.)
• THE WHISTLING SEASON by Ivan Doig (345 p.)
• MIRABILE by Janet Kagan (278 p.)
• GENERAL WINSTON’S DAUGHTER by Sharon Shinn (342 p.)
• RUN by Ann Patchett (295 p.)

Non-Fiction:

• READING LIKE A WRITER by Francine Prose (268 p.)
• TEAM OF RIVALS by Doris Kearns Goodwin. (754 p.)
• PERFECT RED by Amy Butler Greenfield (261 p.)
• EPITAPH FOR A PEACH by David Mas Masumoto (233 p.)
• BLINK by Malcolm Gladwell (276 p.)
• ARAN SWEATER DESIGN by Janet Szabo (171 p.)
• EINSTEIN by Walter Isaacson (551 p.)
• STILL LIFE WITH CHICKENS by Catherine Goldhammer (176 p.)
• DINNER WITH DAD by Cameron Stracker (242 p.)
• JUDGEMENT OF PARIS by George Taber (304 p.)
• TALK TO THE HAND by Lynne Truss (202 p.)

I read 288 books in 2007. The most in one month was 31, in May, the least was June, with only 18. Of the 288 books, 119 of them were new (to me), the other 169 were re-reads. The authors read the most? Mercedes Lackey (18 books); Anne McCaffrey (13 books); Sharon Shinn (12 books); David Eddings (12 books);  Diana Wynne Jones (12 books); Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (11 books). (Um, you can certainly tell which genre is my “comfort reading,” huh?)

And, a recap of each month’s lists for you….

• January
• February
• March
• April
• May
• June
• July
• August
• September
• October
• November
• December

• Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading • Permalink:Favorite Books of 2007 // 5 Comments »

Here’s my list of books from November:

1. RACE OF SCORPIONS by Dorothy Dunnett (534 p.) House of Niccolo volume 3–Nicholas is kidnapped to Cyprus to help King James (Zacco) claim his kingdom, torn in a civil war.

2. SCALES OF GOLD by Dorothy Dunnett (519 p.) House of Niccolo, volume 4–In an attempt to save his bank, Nicholas travels into the depths of Africa searching for gold.

3. READER & RAELYNX by Sharon Shinn (420 p.) Twelfth House series, book 4–finale of the series and, I think, the weakest of the four, mainly because it had so many loose ends to tie up. Still, it’s Sharon Shinn … how bad could it be?

4. UNICORN HUNT by Dorothy Dunnett (656 p.) House of Niccolo, volume 5–Nicholas travels to Scotland to compete with the St. Pol family and also tries to find his son.

5. ELEMENTAL MAGIC by Sharon Shinn et al (378 p.) Four short novellas, all fantasy/romance and far, far too “romance” for my tastes. Didn’t like it at all.

6. TO LIE WITH LIONS by Dorothy Dunnett (626 p.) House of Niccolo, volume 6–Nicholas tries to put his family back together, but first, he has to end his competition with his wife.

7. EXILE’S HONOR by Mercedes Lackey (433 p.)

8. EXILE’S VALOR by Mercedes Lackey (402 p.)
9. TAKE A THIEF by Mercedes Lackey (351 p.)
10. ARROWS FOR THE QUEEN by Mercedes Lackey (320 p.)
11. ARROWS FLIGHT by Mercedes Lackey (318 p.)
12. ARROWS FALL by Mercedes Lackey (293 p.)
13. OATHBOUND by Mercedes Lackey (302 p.)
14. OATHBREAKERS by Mercedes Lackey (279 p.)
15. BY THE SWORD by Mercedes Lackey (492 p.)–All these are “Valdemar” fantasy books . . . I just blew through vast chunks of the series….

16. KNIT KNIT by Sabrina Gschwandner (170 p.) A very “arty” knitting book, with a focus on some vfery cutting-edge designers.

17. LIADEN UNIVERSE COMPANION #2 by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (293 p.) A collection of short stories in the sci-fi “Liaden” world. Always good.

18. SCIENCE OF GOOD AND EVIL by Michael Shermer (263 p.) Non-fiction examining, well, good and evil. I enjoyed the beginning of this, but either the book fizzled or I did–I’m not entirely sure which, but the more I read, the more bored I got, even though the writing was solid and the information was interesting.

19. BEEKEEPER’S APPRENTICE by Laurie R. King (405 p.) First in the “Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes” mystery series–just as WWI is beginning, 16-year old Mary Russell stumbles across Sherlock Holmes and they begin a friendship. I still think this is the best in the series.

20. MONSTROUS REGIMENT OF WOMEN by Laurie R. King (330 p.) Book two, Mary is now 21 and has come into her inheritance, just as she meets a charismatic religious speaker around whom accidents seem to occur.

21. LETTER OF MARY by Laurie R. King (315 p.) Third, A voice from their past leaves a Biblical mystery on Mary and Holmes’s doorstep….

22. JUSTICE HALL by Laurie R. King (425 p.) In England, Mary and Holmes come to the aid of their Arab cohorts from Jerusalem–who turn out not to be Arab at all, but the bluest of blue bloods. Definitely one of the better books in the series.

• Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading • Permalink:Books from November // 3 Comments »

Here’s what I read in October.

1. THIRTEENTH HOUSE by Sharon Shinn (423 p.) Second in the “Twelve Houses” series–a very “standard” kind of fantasy book, but more character-driven than most. Kira is a shape-shifter, and when her father asks her to go, disguised as her sister, on tour with the reclusive princess, she does happily . . . but as they travel, she finds herself attracted to the newly-appointed regent, a married man.

2. INSPIRED FAIR ISLE KNITS by Fiona Ellis (132 p.) Acompletely disappointing knitting book–so bad, I actually returned it. You can read more about my opinion here.

3. DARK MOON DEFENDER by Sharon Shinn (435 p.) Third in the “Twelve Houses” series. Justin, one of the King’s Riders, working undercover, falls in love with a novice at the convent.

4. BLUE SWORD by Robin McKinley (248 p.) Classic YA fantasy book. Young Harry moves to the “Outland” when her father dies, but one night is kidnapped by the Damarian king and soon learns the ways of the desert.

5. MIRABILE by Janet Kagan (278 p.) An interesting sci-fi book, taking place on another world settled by people from earth who brought genetically-altered seeds and embryos with them. Genetically-altered in such a way that the genetic codes are . . . layered, so that you never know what might come out of any given crop. Very interesting, indeed!

6. BELLWETHER by Connie Willis (247 p.) An absolute favorite of mine. Sandra Foster studies the sources of fads while dealing with all sorts of frustrations at her work at HiTek labs, mostly because of the complete ineptitude of the company assistant, Flip . . . it’s hilarious. I love this book….

7. DEEP SECRET by Diana Wynne Jones (375 p.) So, suppose that earth is just one dimension of a series, and that there are Magids who help make sure things work the way they’re supposed to. Now suppose there’s an empire that’s falling apart, just as the world’s youngest magid needs to pick a replacement . . . throw in a fantasy convention in a truly bizarre hotel, a dead mentor haunting a car, and missing heirs, mix well….

8. OD MAGIC by Patricia McKillip (315 p.) Brenden Vetch comes to the king’s city to become gardener at Od’s school of magic. This is a lovely, gentle, sweet kind of book.

9. BROKEN FOR YOU by Stephanie Kallos (368 p.) This is such a nice book. When Margaret learns that she has a fatal brain tumor, instead of going for treatment, she opens her house up to a boarder, Wanda Schultz. But there are secrets and mysteries here–Margaret’s house is filled with relics her father left her–valuable pieces stolen from the Jews sent to the Nazi concentration camp. Wanda is trying to find the boyfriend who left her, not knowing that he was not the person who sent her a Seattle postcard. Little by little, piece by piece, the story comes together, and it’s just delightful.

10. HAPPY ALL THE TIME by Laurie Colwin (214 p.) Another long-time favorite of mine, telling the story of Guido and Vincent as they meet and fall in love with Holly and Misty. It’s just a sweet book, perfect to curl up with on a dreary day. I pull this out at least once a year because it’s just so, so nice to visit.

11. ABOUT A BOY by Nick Hornby (307 p.) Will is an idle, girl-chasing single man who one day decides to pretend he has a son so that he can join a single-parents’ group to hit on the women. It doesn’t work out quite the way he plans, though, because the son of one of them starts coming by his flat after school….

12. SUMMER MOONSHINE by P.G. Wodehouse (282 p.) Classic Wodehouse–which is to say, silly, funny, wacky, unpredictable, unlikely, and purely enjoyable.

13. RENDEVOUS WITH RAMA by Arthur C. Clarke (243 p.) A very sci-fi book. In the not-too-distant future, a massive, empty space ship heads through our solar system, and a team of astronauts are sent to explore it. The science end of it was interesting, but there’s not much to say about the human side of it. Not much by way of character development, but interesting in its way.

14. FREEDOM’S LANDING by Anne McCaffrey (342 p.) First in a trilogy. Earth has been invaded by the Catteni, a race of mercenaries who sweep away the population of a number of our cities. Kris Bjornsen was one of them and, on another planet, spots a Catteni being pursued by his own people and saves him. Things don’t turn out as she planned, though, because she and he are both swept up in another raid and left on another planet as unwilling colonists…

15. FREEDOM’S CHOICE by Anne McCaffrey (293 p.) Second in the trilogy. The Catteni’s overlords are determined to bring Zainal, Kris’s rescued Catteni back, but he’s got other plans in mind–he wants to free not only the humans but the Catteni, but first, they just need to steal a spaceship….

16. FREEDOM’S CHALLENGE by Anne McCaffrey (277 p.) Third in the trilogy. Zainal’s plan is in full force, now all they need to do is figure out how to kill the Eosi….

17. LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY by Frances Hodgson Burnett (190 p.) After reading the biography on F.H.B. a month or so ago, I’ve kind of been in the mood to reread this one. If you don’t know the story, little Cedric Errol turns out to be the next Earl of Dorincourt when his uncles die. He goes to England to meet his bitter, selfish grandfather, who ends up being enchanted by his grandson’s winning ways. But what happens when an imposter turns up?

18. LOST PRINCE by Frances Hodgson Burnett (287 p.) Continuing the sweet, twee, F.H.B. trend, this is the story of Marco Loristan, a young boy being raised to be the secret soldier for the (imaginary) European country of Samaria. He and his friend are sent on a secret mission to different countries in Europe to pass the message that the “Lamp is Lighted,” all in the effort to bring the descendent of the long-lost, true prince to the throne….

19. GENERAL WINSTON’S DAUGHTER by Sharon Shinn (342 p.) A new YA book by a author I love. The description scans as similar to Robin McKinley’s “The Blue Sword,” but after the first chapter, they couldn’t be more different. Averie has come to visit her father and fiance in the very hot country of Chiarrin, where she immediately embraces as much of its culture as she reasonably can. The dress, the codes of colors, the exotic foods, but all is not well, because there are rebels fighting for their country’s freedom, and in one of the attacks, Averie becomes friends with Jalessa, a young fabric seller. This was very good, with a big twist at the end. I saw some of it coming, but not the degree of it, and am still thinking about it, which I consider to be a good sign.

20. CHILD OF THE NORTHERN SPRING by Persia Wooley (468 p.) Book one of a King Arthur trilogy with Guinevere as the main character. It’s good and reasonably authentic, historically speaking. As in, it takes place around 500 AD rather than in the Middle Ages….

21. QUEEN OF THE SUMMER STARS by Persia Wooley (426 p.) Book two of the trilogy, Guinevere and Arthur are married now and trying to make a brave new world. The thing is, Guin is falling for this new knight…. Gosh, I wonder how that will turn out….

22. OWL AND MOON CAFE by Jo-Ann Mapson (352 p.) A nice enough, chick-lit kind of book, multi-generational, family in trouble. Quite good, really, although the genius-but-troubled granddaughter with her oh-so-special science project kind of gets on my nerves. Still, a good book by a good author and a much more upbeat ending than any of her “Bad Girl Creek” books.

23. SHAKESPEARE by Peter Ackroyd (518 p.) Bio of the great man himself. Very good in a short, snappy kind of way. The chapters tended to be just a few pages each, making it easy to pick up and read in small increments. I never knew that Shakespeare died on his birthday.

24. ELVES AND THE OTTERSKIN by Elizabeth Boyer (257 p.) An old fantasy favorite, I bought this book in high school. It’s a Scandinavian-flavored and full of silly kind of fun. Enjoyable and unorthodox.

25. TOUCH NOT THE CAT by Mary Stewart (302 p.) Ah, Mary Stewart. She wrote such elegant little mystery/romances that were oh, so evocative of time and place. (And her descriptions of food are drool-worthy.) This one, Byrony comes home after her father’s sudden death, and finds herself in the midst of an inheritance dispute as well as the mystery of just who she’s had a psychic connection with for her whole life…

26. NINE COACHES WAITING by Mary Stewart (317 p.) Basically, a Mary Stewart Cinderella story. (An analogy driven home a number of times.) Linda takes a governess job in a remove French villa but her charge keeps having accidents. She’s distracted, though, by the dashing son of her employer, who knocks her off her feet . . . literally.

27. HOME FROM THE VINYL CAFE by Stuart McLean (255 p.) A series of short little vignettes about the home life of a record store owner that are on the funny side but I didn’t find them as hilarious as they were supposed to be.

28. KNITTING AMERICA by Susan M. Strawn (197 p.) A nice history of knitting in America, going back to the earlies