Okay, here’s what I read in July:

1. The Grand Tour : Being a Revelation of Matters of High Confidentiality and Greatest Importance, Including Extracts from the Intimate Diary of a Noblewoman and the Sworn Testimony of a Lady of Quality by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. Sequel to the “Sorcery and Cecelia” book which I liked rather better, this tells about the wedding trip of both couples, only instead of being written as letters to each other (which gave the first book a better “voice”), this is a journal and a deposition–not nearly as much fun, but still an enjoyable book.
2. Longshot by Dick Francis. A strugging writer agrees to ghost-write a biography of a famous horse trainer and finds himself in the middle of a murder cover-up.
3. Decider by Dick Francis. Mystery focusing around a failing race course and one man who owns shares through his dead mother and who may be able to make a difference.
4. Good Night Mr. Holmes by Carole Nelson Douglas
5. Good Morning Irene (AKA The Adventuress) by Carole Nelson Douglas
6. Irene at Large (AKA A Soul of Steel) by Carole Nelson Douglas
7. Irene’s Last Waltz (AKA Another Scandal in Bohemia) by Carole Nelson Douglas
8. Femme Fatale by Carole Nelson Douglas
9. Spider Dance by Carole Nelson Douglas. I do love the Irene Adler mysteries, based on the character from Sherlock Holmes. (Though I skipped the two about Jack the Ripper.)
10. Fiddler’s Gun by A. S. Peterson. Yawn. A YA book about a misunderstood orphan girl during the Revolutionary War who ends up becoming a pirate … I was bored the entire time, though I suppose for only 99-cents for the Kindle version, that’s okay.
11. Counterfeit Son by Elaine Marie Alphin. Gripping YA story–the son of a serial killer, when his father is shot down by police, tells authorities that he is actually one of the boys the man had abducted so that he can go live with their family. Considering how awful his life has been for this boy, and the things he’s seen, and the lie he’s telling, this isn’t a happy book, but oh, it was was surprisingly good and has a great twist at the end.
12. Wrapt in Crystal by Sharon Shinn. Sci-fi murder mystery taking place on a desert planet where someone is targeting the religious sisters from two different orders.
13. Thinking Like Your Editor: How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction–and Get It Published by Susan Rabiner and Alfred Fortunato. How-to book for getting a book published.
14. Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. Deliciously quirky epistolary novel, told entirely through letters, and about how the island of Guernsey made it through WWII.
15. Run by Ann Patchett. A lovely book involving the two, black adopted sons of a former mayor of Boston. One is about to be hit by a car on a snowy night when a woman pushes him out of the way and is hit herself, right in front of her teenaged daughter … who tells them that the woman was actually the boys’ birth mother and family lines start getting confused.
16. Wilder Sisters by Jo-Ann Mapson. Two sisters who haven’t spoken in years but find themselves making up when circumstances force both of them to their parents’ ranch in NM.
17. Blue Rodeo by Jo-Ann Mapson. Woman heads to NM to be closer to her teenaged son, recently deafened through a case of meningitis.
18. Local Custom by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. Liaden universe, covering the courtship of Er Thom yos’Galan and Anne Davis, parents of Shan. It’s really a lovely little love sci-fi/regency kind of love story.
19. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier. So, imagine there were some people who were genetically able to time-travel. And then suppose that you had always expected your cousin was the one in your family to have inherited this gift but then it turned out to be you instead? Add in some kind of plot/mystery and there you go–the first in this YA trilogy.
20. No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting by Anne. L. MacDonald. The social history of knitting in America. It’s been years since I read it, and it’s still fascinating.
21. The Murrow Boys: Pioneers on the Front Lines of Broadcast Journalism by Lynne Olson and Stanley Cloud. History about Edward R. Murrow and the other radio news pioneers on CBS during and after WWII.
22. Scout’s Progress by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. Liaden universe. Story of how Aelliana Caylon and Daav yos’Phelium (parents of Val Con in later books) met.
23. Mouse and Dragon by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. Liaden universe. Second in the story of Aelliana Caylon and Daav yos’Phelium, telling of their time together.
24. Seamless (or Nearly Seamless) Knits by Andra Knight Brown
25. 10 Secrets of the LaidBack Knitters: A Guide to Holistic Knitting, Yarn, and Life by Vicki Stiefel and Lisa Souza
26. Loop-d-Loop Lace: More Than 30 Novel Lace Designs for Knitters by Teva Durham
27. Knitted Lace: A Collection of Favorite Designs from Interweave by Interweave Press
28. The Gentle Art of Knitting: 40 Projects Inspired by Everyday Beauty by Jane Brocket
29. Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitter’s Almanac: The Commemorative Edition by Elizabeth Zimmermann. Because, yes, I’ve got an old edition, but I couldn’t (finally) resist the new one.

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1. The Greater Journey by David McCullough. Any time David McCullough comes out with a new book, it’s worth looking into. There’s a reason he’s won the Pulitzer Prize, you know? And this book was great–it’s about 19th century Americans heading to Paris and encountering ideas and inspiration and culture and art and all sorts of experiences that just weren’t available here at the time … and then bringing them back to make a difference. Fantastic. (The color illustrations were stunning, too. I had had no idea, for example, that Samuel Morse of dot-dot-dash-dash Morse Code started off as a really gifted artist.)
2. Belgarath by David Eddings
3. Polgara by David Eddings
4. Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings
5. Queen of Sorcery by David Eddings
6. Magician’s Gambit by David Eddings
7. Castle of Wizardryby David Eddings
8. Enchanter’s End Game by David Eddings. So, um, you know that I’ve adored this series of Garion and his friends since I discovered them in high school, right? (Though to be fair, my best friend spotted them first.) All of my copies say “First time in Print” on them and I’ve completely lost count how many times I’ve read them. It’s just something I have to do every now and again. Classic fantasy-style epic adventure, with a sense of humor.
9. Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook by Deb Robson and Carol Ekarius. If you’re even mildly interested in sheep and wool and natural fibers–or even just pretty, pretty pictures of fiber-bearing animals–run, don’t walk, to get your hands on a copy. It’s fantastic, and I go into much more detail here.
10. Teach Yourself Visually Circular Knitting by Melissa Morgan-Oakes. Review here at Knitting Scholar.
11. Sock Knitting Master Class by Ann Budd. Fantastic book. Read my review here.
12. The Two Georges by Richard Dreyfuss and Harry Turtledove. An alternate-reality mystery novel, taking place in an America that never fought a revolution and whose iconic painting of George Washington and George III–the picture which appears in every government building and on every dollar bill–is stolen and Thomas Bushell must find it and bring it back. It’s well thought out and the occasional cameos from “real” people are fun to spot, and I’ve always rather hoped they’d write a sequel.
13. The Ugly DachshundG.B. Stern. Oh, my, this book was DELIGHTFUL. All I knew was the Suzanne Pleshette/Dean Jones movie from the 60s, with the Great Dane who thought he was a dachshund. THIS is the book it was (loosely) based on, and it’s one of the sweetest books I’ve read in ages. Tono thinks he’s a dachshund and can’t understand why the “Legs” never scoop him up into their laps like they do with the other dogs, or why “Apron Legs” gives him raw meat instead of cooked meals like the other dachshunds. (I adored how every human in the book is referred to as “Legs.” Master Legs, Supreme Legs, Guest Legs. Relative Legs. It all makes perfect sense if you think about what our dogs LOOK at all day long.) This really had no resemblence to the movie and I liked it all the more for it. So, so fun.
14. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. Half a story about a writer trying to write her book and half a historical-fiction story that is not only the book she’s writing but apparently a genetic “memory” of an ancestor who had lived here centuries ago. Enjoyable.
15. Chalice by Robin McKinley. YA fantasy, where Miralys is “Chalice” to her land in a troubled time as they try to introduce a new Master. This book always makes me wish I liked honey more, because she uses a lot of it.
16. Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley. An alternate-universe YA, where Jake lives in a national park that houses dragons and ends up with an orphaned dragonet–when it’s illegal to try to keep them alive. McKinley is always a treat.
17. Sorcery & Cecelia by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. I’ve read this several times, but it’s charming–an epistolary novel set in early 19th Century London, but a London where magic works. It tells the adventures of two chatty, intrepid cousins–one stuck at home in the country, while the other enjoys her “Season” in London. The authors say in their note that they had sheer FUN writing these letters, and it shows.
18. Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell and Know by Alexandra Horowitz. Interesting look into how dogs experience the world (or so far as we humans can tell. Chappy particularly enjoyed this–I found him giggling at descriptions for bits that I’m guessing she might have gotten wrong. But, still, it was good, and intriguing.

Now, one more thing. Over at Knitting Scholar, I compiled a list of new and upcoming knitting books–and there are a LOT of them. Please head over and check them out–there are so many titles, it took TWO posts! Here’s the first post, of recent and soon-to-be-out books. And here’s the list of somewhat further-out but still coming books.

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading by --Deb
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Here’s what I read in May:

Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff. A nice chick-lit kind of book about a woman trying to restart her life by opening a vintage clothing store.

Knitters’ Home Companion by Michelle Edwards. Sweet, heart-warming little book of stories, patterns, and recipes.

Philosophical Breakfast Club by Laura Snyder. The history of science, all in one neat little package. Or, well, not the ENTIRE history of science, but it follows four men who, while at Cambridge, got together and decided they were going to transform the way science was studied and treated … and then went ahead and did it. Fascinating and incredibly wide-ranging.

Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand. The story about the horse, which I decided I had to re-read after re-watching the movie. It’s still a really great story.

World Without End by Sean Russell, and…
Sea Without a Shore by Sean Russell. You’ve seen this pair on my list a lot. I love this duo—both fantasy books, but taking place in a world much like our 18th century with a main character who would have fit nicely in with the real-life mean in the Philosophical Breakfast Club above.

Alleluia Files by Sharon Shinn. Favorite author. Favorite book. Beautiful cover. Good story. There’s a reason it appears periodically on my list.

Packing for Mars by Mary Roach. An interesting and somewhat irreverent approach to the idea of space travel and what we need to do to get ready for a trip to Mars. There might actually be more detail than I really wanted to know about vomiting in space, or how weightlessness affects certain bodily functions, but it’s still fascinating—and entertaining—to read the author’s exploration into sending fragile humans into space.

Ten Year Nap by Meg Wolitzer. Hmm. She’s a good author and talented. The story sounded fascinating, but … I was bored and ended up closing this one before I technically finished it. (Yawn)

The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma. Such a nice little memoir. When she is in third grade, Alice and her father decide to challenge themselves to not missing a night of bedtime reading for 100 nights. When they’ve accomplished that, they decide to go for 1,000 … and then keep going. Right up until she left for college. Sweet. Touching, and full of the love of reading.

Last Bookstore in America by Amy Stewart. A Kindle book that supposes that we all—every one of us—suddenly were so enamored by e-readers that we simply didn’t want paper books any more. (Yes, the author knows that’s a stretch.) How do you suppose the last bookstore in America would survive? Light and entertaining.

Only Mr. Darcy will Do by Kara Louise. Light, fluffy little pastiche based on Pride & Prejudice (because that’s nothing new, right?) This one supposes that Mr. Bennet had passed away shortly after Mr. Darcy’s proposal to Elizabeth at Rosings. Mr. Collins therefore moves into the Bennet’s house and Elizabeth becomes a governess. And when Mr. Darcy hears about it? Naturally, he invites the family she works for for a visit… An entertaining little look at the “what might have been” theme.

An Assembly Such as This by Pamela Aidan, and…
Duty and Desire by Pamela Aidan, and…
These Three Remain by Pamela Aidan. Well, while on a P&P-pastiche kick … I reread this trilogy that tells the whole story from Mr. Darcy’s point of view. They’re not perfect (and book #2 is by far the weakest and most ridiculous of the three), but it’s still fun.

Wildwood Dancing byJuliet Marillier. Fairy tale of 5 Transylvanian sisters who go dancing on the “other side” every full moon.

Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Because everyone should read the original once in a while, right?

What Ho, Automaton by Chris Dolley. Okay … imagine if P.G. Wodehouse were writing steampunk stories about an airhead named Reginald Worcester and his robot valet named Reeves…

Winston’s War by Max Hastings. History of WWII as shaped by Winston Churchill. I so wanted to love this book. It’s thoroughly researched and chock-ful with information (not to mention a certain amount of hero-worship on the part of the author), but I didn’t. It was wordy with the ridiculously circular, passive-verb sentences that are the worst in British writing styles, and it assumed the reader already knew too much. If you had no idea what happened at Dunkirk, or what the Battle of Britain was, you would flounder trying to catch up. No comparison in interest, readability, or good writing to the two-part Churchill biography I read last month.

Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony, and…
Source of Magic by Piers Anthony, and…
Castle Roogna by Piers Anthony, and…
Centaur Aisle by Piers Anthony. Okay, so I loved this fantasy series about Xanth when I was younger. My best friend and I devoured them in junior high and even wrote fan letters to the author, but it’s been years since I read them. And, well, they’re not as much fun as they used to be. The dialog is hopelessly unrealistic, the puns are already taking over the series (which they had completely done by book #7 or so), and yes, God yes, they are so sexist. How did I never see this before? But, still, they’ve got some good laughs and they certainly are creative so I guess revisiting them every 20 years or so isn’t a terrible idea.

The Wish by Alexandra Bullen. A YA book about a girl who wishes to have her dead twin sister back … and thanks to a magic dress, gets it.

Memoir by Ulysses S. Grant, Volume 1. A little too much with the military tactics but that’s certainly no less than one would suspect. This is still interesting and impressive as memoirs go. (Especially knowing that he was dying of cancer the entire time he wrote it.)

Reading Jackie by William Kuhn. A look at Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s life through her reading, and the books she edited. Interesting look at the woman and the reasons she worked with the authors she did.

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading by --Deb
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Here’s what I read in April folks:

1. Deep Secret by Diana Wynne Jones
2. The Merlin Conspiracy by Diana Wynne Jones
3. Time of the Ghost by Diana Wynne Jones
4. Fire & Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones
5. Homeward Bounders by Diana Wynne Jones
6. Cart & Cwidder by Diana Wynne Jones
7. Drowned Ammet by Diana Wynne Jones
8. Spellcoats by Diana Wynne Jones
9. Crown of Dalemark by Diana Wynne Jones–All part of my Diana Wynne Jones memorial tour through the bookshelves, pulling off some books I haven’t read in a while. I miss her already.
10. Bang the Keys by Jill Dearman–Writing book whose main intent is that you need to sit down and WRITE to get anything done … with tips on how to do just that.
11. Changeling Sea by Patricia McKillip–YA fantasy about a girl who befriends a prince obsessed with the sea and a water drake obsessed with the land…
12. Od Magic by Patricia McKillip–Charming little fantasy centering around a school of magic. Beautiful and atmospheric as are all her books.
13. Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey
14. Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey
15. Dragondrums by Anne McCaffrey–The news that there may actually be a Dragonriders of Pern movie inspired me to pull out some of my Pern books. Love them as much as ever.
16. Case Book of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle–The very last Sherlock Holmes collection.
17. Duty, Honor, Country by Bob Mayer–Story of the Civil War centering around the fact that so many soldiers on both sides went to West Point together.
18. Screenplay by Syd Field–How to write a screenplay.
19. Conflict of Honors by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
20. Agent of Change by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
21. Carpe Diem by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
22. Plan B by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
23. I Dare by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
24. Saltation by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller–With their newest book coming out that will FINALLY move past the “It’s kinda complicated” point at the end of “I Dare,” I had to reread all the earlier books, didn’t I?
25. Ghost Ship by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller–Officially not out until August, the authors announced that it was possible to buy the electronic ARC (advance reader’s copy) and, well, I couldn’t resist. I was dying to know how the story moved forward! I so wanted to know what would happen with Theo’s “kinda complicated” problem, and how Korval would settle in on Surebleak … so I splurged and bought the eARC. I couldn’t help myself.
26. John Marshall by Jean Edward Smith–Biography on our first great Supreme Court Chief Justice.
27. The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure–The explorations of a woman who grew up obsessed with the Little House on the Prairie books and dove right into “Laura World,” bringing her boyfriend along for the trip.
28. Modern Top Down Knitting by Kristina McGowan.
29. Knits That Fit by Potter Craft.

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading by --Deb
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Books read in March:

Spinning Around by Jeannine Bakriges. Review here at Knitting Scholar.

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading by --Deb
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Books from March:

Honestly? None.

Between worrying about Chappy and feeling lousy, beset with truly terrible seasonal allergies that made me feel cold-ish and asthma-ish for a couple weeks … there just wasn’t time.

What? You don’t believe me?

Just because it’s April 1st??

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading by --Deb
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Books read in February:

1. The Truth-teller’s Tale by Sharon Shinn
2. The Dream-Maker’s Magic by Sharon Shinn
3. Expressive Photography: The Shutter Sisters’ Guide to Shooting from the Heart by the Shutter Sisters
4. Exile’s Song (Darkover) by Marion Zimmer Bradley
5. The Shadow Matrix (Darkover) by Marion Zimmer Bradley
6. Traitor’s Sun (Darkover) by Marion Zimmer Bradley
7. Why We Make Mistakes: How We Look Without Seeing, Forget Things in Seconds, and Are All Pretty Sure We Are Way Above Average by Joseph T. Halliman
8. Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey
9. Exile’s Honor (Valdemar) by Mercedes Lackey
10. Exile’s Valor (Valdemar) by Mercedes Lackey
11. Take a Thief: A Novel of Valdemar by Mercedes Lackey
12. Brightly Burning by Mercedes Lackey
13. Foundation: Book One of the Collegium Chronicles: A Valdemar Novel by Mercedes Lackey
14. Magic’s Pawn by Mercedes Lackey
15. Magic’s Promise by Mercedes Lackey
16. Magic’s Price by Mercedes Lackey
17. Winds of Fury by Mercedes Lackey
18. By the Sword (Kerowyn’s Tale) by Mercedes Lackey
19. The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading by --Deb
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Here are the books I read in January.

1. Balance of Trade by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. An old favorite book from their Liaden series, following Jethri as he tries to learn Liaden manners as well as Trade. Love it, and am thrilled that the authors are planning a sequel.
2. The Paradise War (The Song of Albion) by Stephen Lawhead. I love this author’s King Arthur series, and this book gets rave reviews at Amazon, but … I just can’t get into it. I’ve tried twice now, and while I finished it, I really didn’t care at all about the characters one way or another.
3. Grant by Jean Edward Smith. Excellent biography of a great man. I didn’t know much about U.S. Grant other than that he won the Civil War and was elected President, but the more I read of this book, the more I liked him for his determination, his fairness, and his generosity of spirit. No histrionics or puffed-up ego, he just did the job he needed to do, every time, if humanly possible—and didn’t make excuses when it didn’t work out.
4. The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery
5. The Case of the Left-Handed Lady: An Enola Holmes Mystery
6. The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets: An Enola Holmes Mystery
7. The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan: An Enola Holmes Mystery
8. The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline: An Enola Holmes Mystery
9. The Case of the Gypsy Goodbye: An Enola Holmes Mystery by Nancy Springer. Oh, oh, oh! These books were so much FUN!! Enola is the (much) younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft, living with their mother and never seeing her brothers until, on her 14th birthday, their mother disappears. She sends word to her brothers who come and “threaten” her with boarding school since their mother has so obviously neglected to teach her the things she needs to know. How will she ever find a husband? But she wants nothing to do with boarding school (especially since she knows how detrimental they are to a girl’s health), and so she runs away. Except, knowing her brothers are brilliant, she runs to the last place they’d expect–London–where she starts looking for their mother as well as, along the way, a series of other missing people. All while trying to keep away from her brothers. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed these 6 books. Every time she bumped into or outsmarted her brothers, I wanted to cheer. I started with grave doubts (Sherlock Holmes with a younger SISTER?), but ended up loving everything about them. Except, well, that there are only 6 books. Totally fun.
10. Learning to Swim: A Novel by Sara J. Henry. An advance-copy of this book which I’ll tell you you MUST read. Remember I told you about the contest I’ll be having closer to its release in a couple weeks? Trust me—you’re going to want to read this book. It all start when Troy, sees what she believes to be a person fall overboard from a passing ferry and, without thinking, dives in to save the life of a little boy. But when she gets him to land and doesn’t see any frantic parents or rescue crews, she starts to wonder—did he fall? Or was he thrown?
11. Dark Lord of Derkholm
12. Year of the Griffin by Diana Wynne Jones. An utterly delightful pair of YA fantasies by one of my favorite authors. Imagine an alternate universe that’s been turned into an amusement park for … us! And what happens when they all decide to rebel? (You know, in a fun, amusing way.)
13. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James MacPherson. Well! There’s no question why this book won the Pulitzer Prize. What an excellent history of the Civil War. Totally fascinating.
14. Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley. Retelling of Sleeping Beauty by a dearly-loved author.
15. The Wealthy Freelancer: 12 Secrets to a Great Income and an Enviable Lifestyle by Steve Slaunwhite, Pete Sauvage, Ed Gandia. Because who couldn’t use some great tips on how to be a better freelancer?
16. Knitting Ganseys by Beth Brown-Reinsel.
17. Vintage Modern Knits: Contemporary Designs Using Classic Techniques by Courtney Kelley & Kate Gagnon Osborn.
18. Knitting Plus: Mastering Fit + Plus-Size Style + 15 Projects by Lisa Shroyer.
19. Fearless Fair Isle Knitting: 30 Gorgeous Original Sweaters, Socks, Mittens, and More by Kathleen Taylor

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading by --Deb
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Here’s a special opportunity for you!

I’ve got an ARC  (that’s Advanced Reader’s Copy) of Sara J. Henry’s new book, Learning to Swim and YOU COULD WIN IT!

Not only that, Sara is going to be coming here for an interview on her blog tour. I read her blog all the time and I couldn’t be more excited.

How about you? Excited yet?

Here are some of the quotes from Amazon:

• “Learning to Swim is a thriller of the most thrilling kind—a smart and crafty story with whiffs of Rebecca that insists from the first sentence that you sit down and not stand up again until you’ve read the last word. Tell your loved ones to take care of themselves.” —Quinn Cummings, author of Notes from the Underwire

• “If The Usual Suspects and a Jodi Picoult novel had a love child, it would be Learning to Swim—a thought-provoking, evocative, and thrilling read.” —Steph Bowe, author of Girl Saves Boy

• “A mesmerizing confluence of mystery, intrigue, and suspense, with undercurrents of deep personal drama…Learning to Swim will hook you from the first page.” —Jamie Ford, bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

• “From the grabber beginning to the heartfelt conclusion, Sara J. Henry’s Learning to Swim is an auspicious debut … Fresh setting, well-realized characters, cleanly written, with a mysterious and suspenseful story – just what I was looking for.”  – Daniel Woodrell, award-winning author of The Death of Sweet Mister and Winter’s Bone

• “Impressive…Henry adroitly handles Troy’s exposure to new emotions as she re-examines her life and relationships.” - Publisher’s Weekly

So much praise, and the book isn’t even out yet!

Stay tuned for Sara’s visit–and your opportunity to win this copy of her fantastic new book!

Tags: Reading by --Deb
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Books I read in December:

1. The Duel: The Eighty-Day Struggle Between Churchill and Hitler by John Lukacs. Not as riveting as I’d hoped, but interesting nevertheless–Churchill and Hitler feeling each other out.
2. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle. More classic Holmes stories.
3. The Butcher and the Vegetarian: One Woman’s Romp Through a World of Men, Meat, and Moral Crisis by Tara Austen Weaver. Here, the author is told by her doctor that she should start eating meat for her health, but she has been a vegetarian her whole life, has never cooked meat of any kind … what is she to do? A little too much agonizing, and the conclusion, while good for her health, seemed to make the whole journey kind of pointless.
4. The Grey Horse by R.A. MacAvoy. Fantasy. A hundred or so years ago, in Ireland, a grey horse comes courting … love this book. Love Ruari as both a horse and a man. Love the story.
5. The Lady by Anne McCaffrey. Speaking of horses–this is one of the few non-sci-fi books by Anne McCaffrey and tells the story of 13-year old, horse-crazy Catriona trying to figure out the many changes in her life.
6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: 10th Anniversary Edition (Harry Potter) by J.K. Rowling.
7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2) by J.K. Rowling.
8. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3) by J.K. Rowling.
9. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4) by J.K. Rowling.
10. Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix by J.K. Rowling.
11. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6) by J.K. Rowling.
12. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) by J.K. Rowling. Um, yeah. Harry Potter. Do I really need to say more?
13. Once a Princess (Sasharia En Garde) by Sherwood Smith.
14. Twice a Prince (Sasharia En Garde) by Sherwood Smith. A duology with a spunky, fighting princess, an alternate universe, a missing father … Cute.
15. The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature by Steven Pinker. A serious look at how the brain works and we process language. Thorough and interesting, but kind of dry and I confess I put it down halfway through.
16. Unlikely Allies: How a Merchant, a Playwright, and a Spy Saved the American Revolution by Joel Richard Paul. The behind-the-scenes maneuvering between three unlikely people in France during the war.
17. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle. Yes, more classic Sherlock Holmes.
18. Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn. Fantasy by one of my favorite authors, and one that I keep going back to.
19. The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry. Another YA fantasy. Lucinda’s parents died years ago and she’s been forced to work for an evil aunt until one day Beryl, known as the Amaranth Witch, walks into their shop and everything changes.
20. The Healer’s Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson. Basically a retelling of sleeping beauty. Enjoyable and more believable than the Amaranth book.

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading by --Deb
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Here are my favorite new (to me) books for the year.

Fiction:

• Bell at Sealey Head by Patricia McKillip
• How to Knit a Love Song by Rachel Herron
• ENCHANTED GLASS by Diana Wynne Jones
• MOUSE AND DRAGON by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
• SALTATION by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
• THIRTEENTH CHILD by Patricia C. Wrede
• WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead
• TWELVE ROOMS WITH A VIEW by Theresa Rebeck.
• IT’S A BOOK by Lane Snider (Yes, a kid’s picture book, because it’s THAT good)
• I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class Presidentby Josh Lieb.
• The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa.
• Sing Them Home: A Novel by Stephanie Kallos.
• Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn.
• Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King.

Non-Fiction

• Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure by Matthew Algeo
• Dreadnaught by Robert Massie
• Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford
• Paris to the Moon by Adam  Gopnick
• EIFFEL’S TOWER by Jill Jones
• SINGLED OUT by Virginia Nicholson.
• A World Undone: The Story of the Great War, 1914 to 1918 by G.J. Meyer.
• A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Lifeby Donald Miller
• 97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement by Jane Ziegelman.

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading by --Deb
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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.

Tags: Reading by --Deb
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Here’s what I read in September:

1. Pivotal Decades: The United States, 1900-1920 by John Milton Cooper. History of the first two decades in the U.S. You only THINK they were dull and boring. (Well, no internet, but still…)
2. Break In by Dick Francis
3. Bolt by Dick Francis. These two Dick Francis books go together–a rare pair with the same main character, Kit Fielding–possibly my favorite Dick Francis lead. Great mysteries.
4. The Silver Pigs (Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries) by Lindsey Davis
5. Shadows in Bronze: A Marcus Didius Falco Mystery by Lindsey Davis
6. Venus in Copper by Lindsey Davis
7. The Iron Hand of Mars: A Marcus Didius Falco Mystery by Lindsey Davis
8. Poseidon’s Gold: A Marcus Didius Falco Mystery by Lindsey Davis. The first several books in this mystery series that takes place in ancient Rome. They’re totally enjoyable and I haven’t read them in years. Unfortunately, I didn’t buy all of them as they came out and, even though the series goes on (there’s a new one out in hardcover as we speak), many of them are out of print and I just didn’t have the heart to keep reading when I couldn’t keep going in sequence, so I stopped after five.
9. Thendara House by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Another old book, one from when I was still in high school. A Darkover fantasy book about a Terran and a Darkovan both trying to fit in. Always been one of my favorites.
10. Tomorrow Log by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. A stand-alone book, awfully similar to the Liaden books in tone, but having nothing to do with them. But … two of my favorite authors, an engaging story. ‘S’all good.
11. A World Undone: The Story of the Great War, 1914 to 1918 by G.J. Meyer. SUCH a good history of WWI. Heartbreaking, the senseless deaths, but a riveting story. Excellent.
12. The Ark by Margot Benary-Isbert. Speaking of books from when I was younger, how about this nice children’s book about life in Germany just after WWII? Sweet, and I haven’t read it since I was about 15.
13. All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
14. All-of-a-Kind Family Uptown by Sydney Taylor. A little more childhood nostalgia.
15. Mystic and Rider (The Twelve Houses, Book 1) by Sharon Shinn
16. Dark Moon Defender (The Twelve Houses, Book 3) by Sharon Shinn.
17. Reader and Raelynx (The Twelve Houses, Book 4) by Sharon Shinn. Well, you know I love Sharon Shinn, and her books DO live in the hallway right outside my bedroom, so …
18. Entree to Entrelac: The Definitive Guide from a Biased Knitter by Gwen Bortner. Review here.
19. Aran Knitting: New and Expanded Edition by Alice Starmore
20. Knitting it Old School: 43 Vintage-Inspired Patterns by Stitchy McYarnpants and Caro Sheridan. Review here.
21. Personal Footprints for Insouciant Sock Knitters: Book Two in the New Pathways for Sock Knitters Series by Cat Bordhi

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading by --Deb
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Here’s what I read in August:

1. KNIGHTLEY ACADEMY by Violet Haberdasher. YA book, kind of a Harry Potter wanna-be, but enjoyable enough.
2. WRITER’S BOOK OF HOPE by Ralph Keyes. How DO you get a book published, anyway?
3. GAME OF KINGS by Dorothy Dunnett
4. QUEENS’ PLAY by Dorothy Dunnett
5. DISORDERLY KNIGHTS by Dorothy Dunnett
6. PAWN IN FRANKINCENSE by Dorothy Dunnett
7. RINGED CASTLE by Dorothy Dunnett
8. CHECKMATE by Dorothy Dunnett. The Lymond Chronicles, one of my very favorite historical fiction series.
9. BELLWETHER by Connie Willis. Funny and fun. It always gets classified as sci-fi, mostly because Willis usually writes sci-fi, but this one isn’t really. It’s just a good story and fun. Always makes me chuckle. (And I already know that Targhees are sheep.)
10. EIFFEL’S TOWER by Jill Jones. A look at the 1889 Paris world’s fair, where the Eiffel Tower had its debut.
11. IT’S A BOOK by Lane Snider. Children’s picture book, so adorable.
12. CHALICE by Robin McKinley. YA fantasy.
13. SAVAGE PEACE: HOPE AND FEAR IN AMERICA 1919 by Ann Hagedorn. History about 1919–I had no idea it was such a rough year. WWI ended, but it wasn’t exactly all sunshine and light.
14. SINGLED OUT by Virginia Nicholson. After WWI, Britain had lost so many men to the war, there were two million “extra” women–practically an entire generation with no-one to marry, at a time when that was the primary goal for most women.
15. GRIFFIN & SABINE by Nick Bantock
16. SABINE’S NOTEBOOK by Nick Bantock
17. GOLDEN MEAN by Nick Bantock. The best part of this trilogy is the illustrations. The story is told via the correspondence between the two characters, but instead of just the text, you get the actual mail pieces–postcards (front and back, illustrated by the characters who are both artists) or actual letters that you remove from their envelopes to read. Very cool. The story, I confess isn’t as charming, but definite points for presentation.
18. 10 LB PENALTY by Dick Francis
19. STRAIGHT by Dick Francis. Dick Francis mysteries are always comforting and enjoyable, and, well, I need a fix every couple months!
20. WEAVER’S IDEA BOOK by Jane Patrick
21. JIL EATON’S KNITTING SCHOOL by Jil Eaton
22. GIFTED by Mags Kandis
23. VAMPIRE KNITS by Genevive Miller

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading by --Deb
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Like Lorette, even though I don’t do memes very often, I couldn’t actually resist this one.

1. Favorite childhood book?
I’m terrible at picking just one, but “A Little Princess” by Frances Hodgson Burnett is right near the top. Her Sara taught me how to control my temper, and I’ve always been grateful. I couldn’t resist “Anne of Green Gables,” by L.M. Montgomery, either, or Madeline L’Engle’s “A Wrinkle in Time.” I loved Louisa May Alcott, too, but my favorites were always “Eight Cousins” and “Jack and Jill” rather than “Little Women.” Then there was “Understanding Betsy,” “Caddie Woodlawn,” the “Little House on the Prairie” books, and the “Black Stallion” books. Let’s not forget Trixie Belden…

2. What are you reading right now?
Oh my. Um. Dorothy Dunnett’s “Disorderly Knights” (third in her series, the Lymond Chronicles). “Eiffel’s Tower” about the 1889 world’s fair in Paris that introduced it. “Singled Out” about the two million “surplus” women in Great Britain at the end of WWI (heart-breaking). “A Savage Peace” about America in 1919, just after the war had ended, but it wasn’t exactly peaceful. Oh, and a book about rhetoric and arguments whose title escapes me at the moment but which I’m too comfortable to get up and go look at for you. I think that’s everything. Unless you count the pile of WWI-ish books that I keep referring to while writing lately?

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
None. I can’t remember the last time I checked a book out of the library.

4. Bad book habit?
None, really. I take very, very good care of my books.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
None (see #3).

6. Do you have an e-reader?
I do, I have a Kindle 2.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
Obviously the answer is several. About the bare minimum is one fiction and one non-fiction, but there’s usually an assortment. Almost always just one novel at a time, though, and the non-fiction is usually a mix.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Not that I can think of. I still read at every possible moment I’m not doing something else.

9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)
Under Enemy Colors by S. Thomas Russell. Not so much because it was so terrible but because, under a different name, he’s one of my favorite fantasy authors, but I thought there was no comparison between the quality and subtlety of those books and this.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
Just one? Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Hard to answer because I so often read straight out of my own library, but I’ll read just about anything, though I draw the line at horror (because I need to sleep at night) or books that are too R-rated because I just don’t see the point of excessive sex/violence/language in a BOOK.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
Almost any good story, interestingly told.

13. Can you read on the bus?
If I ever actually rode a bus, yes. I can read anywhere except in the shower, and that’s because the water makes it too hard to turn the pages.

14. Favorite place to read?
I will literally read just about anywhere as long as my hands are dry and I’m not risking my life, but my two favorite places are my yellow chair in the living room, preferably with Chappy curled up next to me, or in bed. I curl up on my left side, prop the book against a heaped-up corner of the quilt and just read and read and read.

15. What is your policy on book lending?
Only to VERY trust-worthy people, and that very seldom because even so, I haven’t gotten all the books I’ve lent back. My sister’s the only one who is truly reliable.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
I’d say an emphatic no, but I DO sometimes put the tiniest one on pages with quotes I want to be able to find again.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
No.

18.  Not even with text books?
Really, no. I tried it, briefly, my freshman year of college, but couldn’t bring myself to continue. If I truly need to leave a note, I use a post-it.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
Um, English. It’s the only one I speak.

20. What makes you love a book?
Captivating story, great characters, wonderful writing … what more do you need? And if it’s informative, too boot? Perfection.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
See #20.

22. Favorite genre?
All sorts, but my comfort reading is usually fantasy/sci-fi. I find that they most take me out of myself when I need to relax.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
I can’t really think of any that I don’t read that I wish I read.

Favorite biography?
Um. David McCullough’s “John Adams” and his “Truman,” I guess. I love really good historical biographies. Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals” is magnificent, too.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
Probably, I guess, but I can’t really think of what it might be. One on dating, maybe, back when I was in my 20s? Do business books count?

26. Favorite cookbook?
Oh, harder than you’d think! The Home Cooking books by Laurie Colwin. The King Arthur anniversary cookbook I’ve had for about 20 years. Susan Branch’s books, if only for the sake of looking at them.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
Um…

28. Favorite reading snack?
I don’t usually eat while I read, though I sometimes drink a cup of tea. I sometimes sit with a piece of cake and a book, but … mostly, just the book.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
I suppose there are books that people raved about that I didn’t like… Most recent? The Art of Racing in the Rain.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I don’t really have an answer for this because I don’t read book reviews all that often. Maybe the ones on Amazon.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I’m in the “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all” school, which is why my book reviews are almost always positive in some way.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
I really have no opinion on this.

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
I’m trying to remember feeling intimidated by a book … Moby Dick, maybe? Because it was so darn huge and boring at the same time? Deadly combination.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
None that I can think of.

35. Favorite Poet?
Billy Collins.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
Zero.

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
When I actually used to use the library? Pretty much zero percent. I always read them.

38. Favorite fictional character?
I truly don’t have just one, but I love the young Ramses Emerson in Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody books. He’s just such a loquacious, determined, amazing character, speaking like a college professor, almost, when he’s just a few years old, and able to get in and out of trouble with a remarkable felicity. He’s extraordinary. (Mind you, he’s just fine as an adult character, but it’s his childhood antics of rescuing lions and stealing from master criminals that I adore.)

39. Favorite fictional villain?
As in, the most villainous? Gabriel in Dorothy Dunnett’s Lymond Chronicles.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
I can’t choose just one, that’s for sure. I pack more books for vacation than I do clothes, almost!

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
You can count this in hours, and I can actually pinpoint the day–moving day last year, when I didn’t get to read for practically an entire day. Otherwise, usually no more than four hours.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
There really aren’t that many, but that Book of Dr. Strange and Mr. something-or-other that was all the rage a few years ago. I absolutely hated it and thought that if I heard the phrase “the thistle-haired man” one more time I would literally throw it across the room. I found myself scrubbing my bathroom rather than pick it up to read. I got 300 pages into it and then just gave up to save what was left of my sanity.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Not much. My focus isn’t quite as good when I was younger and would read in the middle of the playground at school, but I can block out most distractions.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
There are some good ones. Lord of the Rings. Sense and Sensibility (the Emma Thompson one). The Unbearable Lightness of Being. Possession (though I know a lot of people hated the movie). The Secret Garden (the one from the 1990s with the gorgeous photography).

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
Howl’s Moving Castle. Most children’s books. I have yet to see a “Little Princess” that doesn’t turn Sara into a terrible brat–and don’t get me started at them making her father still be alive.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
Over $100 but less than $500. Not counting college textbooks.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
I suppose I might do a quick flip-through at the bookstore, but otherwise, when I’m ready to read it, I read it.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
Awful writing, awful story, extreme boredom, excessive R-rating type behavior.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
Absolutely!

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
Keep, keep, keep! It pains me to give them away.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
Not that I can think of, though I long for the day when fantasy writers manage to think of something other than vampires and misunderstood teenagers.

52. Name a book that made you angry.
Nothing’s coming to mind.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
Dust of 100 Dogs.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
That stupid Mr. Strange book whose title I don’t even bother to try to remember. I thought I would love it and it was godawful.

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
Fantasy and Sci-fi. Sharon Shinn. Anne McCaffrey. Sharon Lee and Steve Miller…

Tags: Reading by --Deb
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Here’s what I read in July:

1. MURDER GOES MUMMING by Alisa Craig (184 p.) Light, fluffy, cozy mystery with Janet and Madoc
2. A DISMAL THING TO DO by Alisa Craig (198 p.) Light, fluffy, cozy mystery with Janet and Madoc
3. TROUBLE IN THE BRASSES byAlisa Craig (212 p.) Light, fluffy, cozy mystery with Madoc (no Janet, she was home getting pregnant).
4. BEST OF ENEMIES by Nancy Bond (248 p.) A re-read of one of my all-time favorite YA books, about an “invasion” by the British at Concord, Massachusetts’ Patriot Day festivities. Love this book, love it. So much, that I finally bought myself a copy when I was around 25 because I missed it so much and they weren’t carrying it at the library anymore.
5. ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN by Garth Stein (321 p.) Eh. I know this book has gotten raves, but it mostly left me bored. A life story as told by a dog.
6. COLD SASSY TREE by Olive Ann Burns (391 p.) Another reread from years ago, a nice bit of Southern Americana
7. MY LIFE FROM SCRATCH by Gesine Bulloch-Prado (225 p.) Part memoir, part cookbook, all about how Gesine (Sandra Bullock’s sister) left Hollywood to open a small Vermont bakery. It made me hungry.
8. FLEDGLING by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (375 p.) The story of 14-year old Theo Waitley, part one, as she begins to grow into her pilot skills.
9. SALTATION by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (325 p.) Theo part two, and ending at exactly the same moment as “I Dare,” did … with a “kinda complicated problem.” Can’t wait for the next one.
10. PEGASUS IN FLIGHT by Anne McCaffrey (290 p.) In the not too distant future, psychic gifts  can be measured and are scientifically proven to be true …
11. PEGASUS IN SPACE by Anne McCaffrey (373 p.) The followup, as Peter Reidinger discovers the limits of his own gift–teleporting to the stars.
12. THIRTEENTH CHILD by Patricia C. Wrede (344 p.) An enjoyable YA fantasy, the first in the “Frontier” series. It takes place in the late 1800s of a slightly alternate universe. Fun.
13. DRAGONHAVEN by Robin McKinley (342 p.) And the feel of the last one just fed right into this one, in a US just like ours except there are dragons.
14. EON: DRAGONSEYE REBORN by Alison Goodma (531 p.) An asian-inspired YA that was a little too cliche for me, a girl disguising herself as a boy to be eligible for great honors, yadda yadda.
15. WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead (199 p.) Oh, fun. A Newbery Award winner and totally enjoyable, with hints of time travel as the main character starts getting mysterious notes that tell the future.
16. WHITE DRAGON by Anne McCaffrey. One of my favorite Pern books, as Jaxom comes of age.
17. RENEGADES OF PERN by Anne McCaffrey (384 p.) Not really my favorite, but it’s the perfect (rather necessary) bridge between the last one and…
18. ALL THE WEYRS OF PERN by Anne McCaffrey (404 p.) Also one of my favorite Pern books, as the dragonriders finally manage to rid the planet of the deadly Thread.
19. TWELVE ROOMS WITH A VIEW by Theresa Rebeck. I found this on a list of “beach reads” and the story sounded intriguing–at her mother’s funeral, Tina’s sisters tell her that their mother inherited a 12-million dollar apartment in New York from their dead stepfather, but that his sons would be bound to protest, and that she should move in right away… It was fun, I enjoyed it.
20. POEMCRAZY by Susan Wooldridge (208 p.) Inspiration for writing poetry.
21. BETSY ROSS AND THE MAKING OF AMERICA by Marla R. Miller (362 p.) A biography of Betsy Ross which not only explores the “did she or didn’t she” mystery about her making the first US flag, but which tells about the world she lived in, growing up in Philadelphia, the most important city  in America at the time. Intriguing and enjoyable.
22. OVER HERE: THE FIRST WORLD WAR AND AMERICAN SOCIETY by David M. Kennedy (390 p.) History of World War I
23. BELLFIELD HALL by Anne Dean (300 p.) A Jane Austen-esque murder mystery.
24. THE ART OF KNITTED LACE: With Complete Lace How-To and Dozens of Patterns by Kristin Omdahl. (Review here at Knitting Scholar)
25. COMFORT AFGHANS: More than 50 Beautiful, Affordable Designs Featuring Berroco’s Comfort Yarn from Berroco. Designs by Narah Gaughan, Margery Winter and the Berroco Design Team
26. RING OF FEAR by Anne McCaffrey A horse-based romance novel which I basically only read because it’s by Anne McCaffrey. Since I’m not really a fan of romance novels, though, this isn’t one of my favorites, but still, every now and again it’s nice to revisit.
27. MARK OF MERLIN by Anne McCaffrey. Also a romance, set during WWII, focusing on a girl with her dog.
28. THE KILTERNAN LEGACY by Anne McCaffrey. Of the three, this is my favorite, Irene Teasey and her 14-year old twins inheriting an estate in Ireland. All three of these I have in one volume, called “Three Women, which has been out of print for years.

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading by --Deb
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Here’s what I read last month:

1. JENNA STARBORN by Sharon Shinn (381 p.) a sci-fi version of Jane Eyre (which, frankly, I prefer over the original which I realize is sacrilege, but what can I say?)
2. MOUSE AND DRAGON by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (357 p.) A new Liaden book by two of my favorites, AND it’s a sequel to one of my other favorites, telling the story of Da’av and Aelliana, right from the end of “Pilot’s Choice.” Love.
3. THE ONE THAT I WANT by Allison Winn Scotch (270 p.) What if you had a perfect life, and then one day, you were given the gift of clarity? And started seeing that maybe things weren’t as perfect as you thought?
4. RUNEMARKS by Joanne Harris (526 p.) A YA based roughly on Norse mythology, but telling what might have happened hundreds of years after Ragnorak.
5. EIGHT DAYS OF LUKE by Diana Wynne Jones (150 p.) And then, suppose the Norse gods were real, and Loki was imprisoned for something he hadn’t done?
6. BENEATH THE VAULTED HILLS by Sean Russell (480 p.) Book one…
7. COMPASS OF THE SOUL by Sean Russell (407 p.) …and Book two of this fantasy duology telling the story of Erasmus Flattery. I love this world of Farr the man has created, similar to ours from the 18th century, only, along with emerging sciences, there are the remnants of magic.
8. EMPATHIC CIVILIZATION by Jeremy Rifkin (668 p.) History book discussing the emergence of the concept of empathy, and how it has affected the evolution of civilization.
9. SPOOK by Mary Roach (295 p.) A scientific (if somewhat snarky) examination of the possiblity of life after death.
10. SECRET GARDEN by Frances Hodgson Burnett. A classic! Mary’s parents are killed and she is sent to Misselthwaite Manor and finds a lost garden and a lost cousin and finally a chance of happiness.
11. WORLD WITHOUT END by Sean Russell. Book one…
12. SEA WITHOUT A SHORE by Sean Russell …and Book two of Russell’s other (well, his first) fantasy dualogy taking place in Farr.
13. MY MAN JEEVES by P.G. Wodehouse. Because, how can you go wrong with Wodehouse writing Jeeves and Wooster?
14. PINT OF MURDER by Alisa Craig (186 p.) Fluffy little cozy mystery about Madoc Rhys the Mountie and Janet Wadman.
15. PHOEBE’S SWEATER by Joanna Johnson (Review here at Knitting Scholar). Adorable little picture book with sweater patterns.
16. KNITTING MOCHIMOCHI by Anna Hrachovec. (Review here at Knitting Scholar). Also adorable.

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading by --Deb
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I don’t know how it happened.

But I seem to have fallen down and landed on the “Buy” button over at Amazon. Look at this pile of books!

• Sir Ken Robinson’s The Element
• Catherine Blyth’s The Art of Conversation
• Steven Pinker’s The Stuff of Thought
• James Thurber’s The Thurber Carnival (because I stupidly got rid of my copy last Fall)
• Mary Roach’s Spook
• Jay Heinrichs’s Thank You for Arguing
• Anna Dean’s Bellfield Hall
• Allison Winn Scotch’s The One That I Want
• Sharon Lee and Steve Miller’s Mouse & Dragon
• Joanne Harris’s Runemarks.

Oh, and the new issue of Vogue Knitting there at the bottom.

With all this new reading material, it’s a good thing I’m making progress on my knitting, huh? I know, it’s a lousy picture. I didn’t have the space to lay the pieces out nicely, and they’re all curly around the edges … all of that. But it DOES prove that I’ve been working on my sweater, huh? The two fronts are done and I just started the sleeves.

You’ll be glad to know that Chappy (and the rest of us) are doing well with the work going on, even if they’re not going quite as fast as we’d like. They power-washed the building on Monday. (Wow, the deck looks so much better already.) They haven’t started painting or staining yet, though, which means Chappy still doesn’t have access to the deck for his bathroom, which is kind of inconvenient for all of us.

He was so good on Tuesday, though. Even with all the noise and the unfamilar routine, he didn’t go crazy-barking. In fact, if anything, he was a little clingier than usual. In fact, before I left for work, he followed me into my room and curled up on my red chair. That’s unusual for him. I told him that, if he wanted to, he could come back and sit there any time during the day, if he needed a break.

Well, when I got home on Tuesday, Dad explained how he had gone looking for Chappy, to check on him. He wasn’t downstairs. He wasn’t on his pillow or the couch in the living room. He wasn’t sitting by the door or in the kitchen. So, he came upstairs–Chappy wasn’t in his crate. He was, in fact, on the red chair. A place where he never sits during the day, and rarely at night.

Aww. Such a smart boy! Frankly, I don’t think he’s upset at all that it’s been quiet the last couple days. Even if the rest of us are kind of anxious for them to get the deck done, already…

The hardest question now?

What do I read first?

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning, Reading by --Deb
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Here’s what I read in May.

1. SEEING A LARGE CAT by Elizabeth Peters (386 p.)
2. APE WHO GUARDS THE BALANCE by Elizabeth Peters (376 p.)
3. FALCON AT THE PORTAL by Elizabeth Peters (366 p.)
4. HE SHALL THUNDER IN THE SKY by Elizabeth Peters (400 p.)
5. LORD OF THE SILENT by Elizabeth Peters (404 p.)
6. THE GOLDEN ONE by Elizabeth Peters (429 p.)
7. CHILDREN OF THE STORM by Elizabeth Peters (400 p.)
8. SERPENT ON THE CROWN by Elizabeth Peters (350 p.)
9. TOMB OF THE GOLDEN BIRD by Elizabeth Peters (381 p.)–Because it’s fun to read the Amelia Peabody books!

10. LAPSING INTO A COMMA by Bill Walsh (227 p.) One of the best titles for a style guide ever. Useful information, too.

11. DUST OF 100 DOGS by A.S. King (329 p.) Well, this IS an interesting book. It’s YA, and completely unique. Emer is a pirate in the caribbean who, just as she is killed, is dusted with the ashes of 100 dogs and doomed to live 100 dog lives before being reborn again as a human, hell-bent on retrieving the treasure she buried. Fantastic writing, a little violent.

12. GENERAL WINSTON’S DAUGHTER by Sharon Shinn (342 p.) YA. Averie visits occupied Chiarrin to see her father and her fiance. She’s thrilled to be there, to learn the new culture, but there are rebels and it’s not as safe as they think…

13. SOMETHING MISSING by Matthew Dicks (292 p.) Interesting. Martin is a thief. A quiet, unassuming thief who never takes anything that will be missed. Some toilet paper, extra towels. The occasional piece of extra jewelry. Then, one day, he accidentally knocks a “client’s” toothbrush in a toilet and is wracked with guilt. He can’t bear the thought that she will use a contaminated brush and suddenly he starts doing little things to help, thinking of himself as a guardian angel. In doing so, he meets a woman, falls in love, and ultimately becomes a hero.

14. HEART OF GOLD by Sharon Shinn (359 p.) One of my favorites. Favorite book from one of my favorite authors. Love it.

15. QUATRAIN by Sharon Shinn (369 p.) Four short novels, one from each of her primary worlds. All good, even if I do prefer full-length works.

16. BALANCE OF TRADE by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (454 p.) A stand-alone Liaden book, and one of my favorites if only because Jethri is such an appealing character, and I love seeing the two worlds trying to get to know each other. I still hope for a sequel one of these days.

17. CRYSTAL SOLDIER by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (321 p.)
18. CRYSTAL DRAGON by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (359 p.) These two go together, kind of pre-Liaden books, telling the story of how Cantra, Jela and the Tree all came together and fled to settle Liad.

19. LORDS OF FINANCE by Liaquat Ahamed (505 p.) History book about the financial geniuses who more or less brought about the Great Depression. Interesting, even if some of the economics went over my head.

20. FREEDOM’S LANDING by Anne McCaffrey (342 p.)
21. FREEDOM’S CHOICE by Anne McCaffrey (293 p.)
22. FREEDOM’S CHALLENGE by Anne McCaffrey (277 p.)–A nice little sci-fi trilogy that starts just after an alien force coming to Earth and carrying away whole cities into slavery, and follows Kris Bjornsen to the planet Botany, where she and her fellow “settlers” try to survive, and, oh yes, to defeat the Eosi who caused all the havoc. It’s a fun series, if a little “convenient” that the people who get dropped on Botany just happen to have the perfect skills for what they need to do. (Oh, and there’s a 4th book but it’s pretty atrocious, so I mostly just pretend it never happened.)

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading by --Deb
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Here’s what I read in April.

1. BELONG TO ME by Marisa de los Santos–second book, telling about Cornelia’s married life in a new neighborhood. This is only this woman’s second book and I’m already pantingly eager for her to come out with a third.
2. SWEATER QUEST by Adrienne Martini (full review here at Knitting Scholar)–The story of a woman daring to knit an Alice Starmore design in one year.
3. THREE MEN AND A MAID by PG Wodehouse–A light bit of fluff from the man who brought us all Bertie Wooster and Jeeves … not that they’re in this one, but does it matter? He’s always fun and lighthearted to read.
4. BEEKEEPER’S APPRENTICE by Laurie R King
5. MONSTROUS REGIMENT OF WOMEN by Laurie R King
6. LETTER OF MARY by Laurie R King
7. JUSTICE HALL by Laurie R King
8. LOCKED ROOMS by Laurie R King–My favorite (to date) books in the Mary Russell series, telling about Sherlock Holmes’ 15-year old protege.
9. ENCHANTED GLASS by Diana Wynne Jones–A new book by DWJ is always a treat, and this was fun as always.
10. WRITING JANE AUSTEN by Elizabeth Aston–An interesting idea–a struggling novelist gets the chance to complete a recently discovered, unknown manuscript from Jane Austen … except, she’s never read a Jane Austen book in her life (and is proud of it). Yet, she kept putting it off and putting it off until I wanted to slap her … though her JA marathon once she finally started was the highlight of the book.
11. MISS HARGREAVES by Frank Baker–An old book from the beginning of the last century, telling the story of Norman, a man who, on a whim, makes up an old acquaintance … and then she shows up, just as he described her. Hilarity ensues. (Nice companion to that PG Wodehouse earlier)
12. NORTHERN KNITS by Lucinda Guy (full review here at Knitting Scholar)
13. SOCK KNITTER’S WORKSHOP by Ewa Jostes and Stephanie van der Lineden (full review here at Knitting Scholar)
14. ONE BALL KNITS: GIFTS (full review here at Knitting Scholar)
15. KNITS MEN WANT by Bruce Weinstein (full review here at Knitting Scholar)
16. KNITTING GREEN by Ann Budd (full review here at Knitting Scholar)
17. SATURDAY STYLE by Doreen Marquart (full review here at Knitting Scholar)
18. COLOR KNITTING THE EASY WAY byMelissa Leapman (full review here at Knitting Scholar)
19. KNITTING LACE by Suzanna Lewis (full review pending at Knitting Scholar)
20. TWEED by Nancy J Thomas (full review pending at Knitting Scholar)
21. MUMMY CASE by Elizabeth Peters
22. LION IN THE VALLEY by Elizabeth Peters
23. DEEDS OF THE DISTURBER by Elizabeth Peters
24. THE SNAKE, THE CROCODILE, AND THE DOG by Elizabeth Peters–Because how can you not enjoy a fun Amelia Peabody mystery? A Victorian Egyptologist bashing about Egypt with her husband and precocious son, solving murders…
25. POWER CABLES by Lily Chin (full review pending at Knitting Scholar)
26. GET SPUN by Symeon North. (full review pending at Knitting Scholar)

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading by --Deb
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