March Reads 2009

Since I can't find a March thread (yet) and I just finished a book, I thought I'd kick it up. ^-~ (Apologies if I'm stepping on toes. I don't mean to.)

My first read of the month is Fitcher's Brides which I'm oddly torn about. Now I have to drown my reaction in a light and fluffy book, though, lest I have trouble sleeping. It's not even a horror book.

ETA: Minor spelling errors. *sweeps them out with a broom since the roombas seem to disdain cleaning them up*

There are no toes to step on.
:oD
Well done, Shanra.

Ouch! Why does my toe hurt? ;)

Nobody stepped on it, but I did stub my toe not too long ago. Stupid staircase!

I've been reading a lot of graphic novels recently. Grease Monkey (Tim Eldred) was one that I enjoyed in the last couple of days. I'm finishing off The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove at the moment, now that I've finished Assassin's Quest for the umpteenth time. I'm also reading The Thousand Ships, the first volume of a seven-volume graphic novel adaptation of the Trojan war. It seems quite comprehensive so far, without much detail lost. I've got the first two volumes. I hope the library has all seven. I'd better check.

Edit: Crud. They don't.

I just finished Peter Sanderson's Classic Marvel Super Heroes. He focuses on just four in the Mighty Marvel Pantheon (Captain America, Incredible Hulk, Amazing Spider-Man, and the Wolverine). Since I only started collecting in the Bronze Age of Comics (70's), I learned a lot of fun info about the origins of these heroes and their makers.

So I am currently nearing the end (last 100 or so pages) of The Summoner and it has given me the strongest cravings for a good crusty loaf of bread - some really good cheese - tea - and good stews.. They have been munching on various mixes of these for the past 100 pages....mmm cheese and crusty bread. When did we decide fresh bread and cheese + tea,wine or water did not equal a good satisfying meal????

#7 I don't think we ever did...

I just finished The Book of Air and Shadows and found it Very entertaining. Much in the style of The DaVinci Code but Far better written (and much more plausible).

Is there really that many lunatics living in Manhattan?

I finished Food Network Favorites. Not many I would actually make, but if someone were to offer me a nice piece of sachertorte complete with whipped cream, I would not say no!

I also finished We Have Always Lived in the Castle and found it a creepy, suspenseful read. I dreamed about it last night, in fact.

I'm nearly finished with The Demigod Files - the newest entry in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. It is a a collection of 3 short stories, a map, some interviews with characters, and other supplimentary stuff. It's fun, and not too taxing. I recommend it.

#5 - Only 2 1/2 volumes of the Age of Bronze series have been published so far....

Presently reading The Chanur Saga. It've staring at me from the TBR stack for quite some time but I have told myself I must read other things than C.J. Cherryh every now and then ;-)

#12 is that a first time read of that series for you?

it's different. While still being essentially Cherryh. the Saga is odd, Book 1 stands alone, 2 and 3 are really part of a trilogy which concludes with Chanur's homecoming published seperately, and then there's an epilogue in chanur's legacy. Homecoming isn't essential. I read just the saga for a the first few reads, and CJC has many worse cliffhangers... but you might want to find book 4 when you can.

I'm currently reading hammer of god the conclusion to the godspeaker trilogy. It's bogged down in internal politics now and not quite as climactic as I expected. I'm sure it will pick up towards the end.

edit for gross typing legability

I read The Eyre Affair in one sitting. Fabulous book.

Next up is Mona Lisa Awakening as it's due at the library soon.

I just finished I Am Not Myself These Days: A Memoir (P.S.) for the Seattle Gay And lesbian Book Club. Not what I would call a "feel good" kind of book. I'm definitely ready for something lighter now but sadly the next book I have to read is North Korea Kidnapped My Daughter.

#13 - Yes, it is the first time. (I also have Morgaine on the shelf, waiting...). I'm about halfway through Book 1, and so far so good.

I felt this was one of her series I ought to read ;-)

Read Austenland last night. It is such a good Austen book- based off of the novels without being a straight-up retelling. I only wish that there was a Pembroke Park.

I'm trying to make my way through Popped by Mary Higgins Clark's daughter Carol (lost yet?). My mum loves the series, so I'm trying to read it for her, but so far...let's just say after the first few chapters I had no problem falling asleep.

Don't remember if I posted that I finshed The Eyre Affair, now I need to jump into the discussion threads.

Up next are The Age of Innocence and The Penitent, both for book club reads.

I've just started reading The Shack. I like it so far.

I finally finished reading Lord Foul's Bane. A friend lent it to me about a year ago. Now I'm reading The Summoner. I'm only a few pages in.

Finished reading the first book in Zelazny's Amber chronicles last night. Also started reading Faith and Doubt for our church small group.

12/13/16> I've read little by Cherryh, but I loved the Chanur books. It seemed to me that book 4 was essential, as book 3 left pretty much every conceivable plot line wide open. Really, books 2-4 are practically a self-contained trilogy. Chanur's Legacy, though, was entirely skippable. Cherryh writes some amazing aliens.

Okay, you people are shaming me. I'm going to go read for a while.
;o)

I'm about halfway through The Domino Men, sort of a sequel to The Somnambulist. It's excellent so far!

#19 - its a big book (600 some odd pages) but reads really quickly :) good fun

#21 - That's what I've heard from others, so I plan to buy book 4, at least.

see there you all go with the Cherryh again....

#24- I'm glad to hear that. :-) I'll be sure to have some cheese and bread on hand.

I just sucked down Mona Lisa Awakening. Yummy.

#26 - ....well, there IS a REASON for that, you know ;-)

#29 - so you keep telling me...I swear ....its in the TBR pile somewhere

I have The Summoner on my TBR, I also have The Blood King but I am holding out to read them when my copy of Dark Haven gets here. It is ion the mail!!

Mind you, I have to write this research paper first. At the university library today, I checked out Richard III, Good King Richard, Royal Blood and Richard the third. Plus the two Prince in the Tower ones and the Edward IV one that I already own and have to finish reading. Luckily thew paper isn't due til mid-April. A lot lot lot of reading and note taking in my future.

I finished The Golden Ass today and will start Beowulf during Charlie's next nap!

Finished Made to be Broken last night. Second in a series about a female hitman (hit person??).

I believe the correct term is hitmistress.

I finished Confessions of a Shopaholic last night and today I started The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. This year, I've made a promise to myself to read only books in my tbr pile and those that are loaned/given to me.

>>34 sevedra: - That sounds a lot kinkier than the series is, but I like it! ;-)

yeah, I was just making it up though. But if I were going into the paid assassin business, I would so make them call me Hitmistress Sevedra. I'd probably only kill people with that cool whip Indiana Jones had too.

For some reason hitman sounds right, but hitwoman sounds like a wife-beater. English fails again!

#11 - Crud. That means it could be a while before I finish it. Oh well. It's very good though. If it ever gets finished, it'll be a classic.

I finally got rolling in reading The Wordy Shipmates and have decided I liked it after all. It took me a little bit of time to become infatuated with Sarah Vowell's style, which is very unique. Then, even though I have other books which I've begun reading and should finish, I have started a new one: The Weather of the Pacific Northwest. Don't laugh. The touchstone is wrong, wrong, wrong. This book is by Cliff Mass, a prof at the U. of Washington and he is on the radio frequently explaining weather. He is very good at explaining and I've always wanted to understand more, and to be able to read clouds.

I finally finished The Eyre Affair yesterday, and now I'm going to finish Standard of Honor by Jack Whyte.

I started rereading The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner this morning, and I'm having the time of my life with it. When I first read it in the summer of 2007, I considered it the least enjoyable of the three Riverside books. (That's not to say it wasn't wonderful - because it really, really was - but it didn't quite measure up to the other two). Now I'm wondering how I could ever have felt that way. If it keeps up, I think I'll have to upgrade it from a 4-star book to a 5-star book, and I almost never do that.

I may never read again. I'm stuck. I have to finish a book, it's for Early Reviewers, but I hate what the author is doing to all these characters I've grown to care for. :( Every time I pick it up something awful happens, so I figure if I never read again, everyone will work it out and be fine.

dumb typos

Oh no, MrsLee!

I finished The Eyre Affair today and decided to move on to The Secret Garden.

Sorry, MrsLee. I hate it when that happens.

I'm reading Lavoisier and the Year One, which sounded so good but is somehow not quite as good as I was expecting.

Thus far I've read Jack: a Life of CS Lewis, and the Screwtape Letters. At least I've finished them. I'm in the middle of a Christian America for my History of Religion in America class. The book is boring me to tears, but I don't exactly have a choice. Thankfully the rest of the books for the class look a lot more interesting. Haven't started it just yet, but we're reading Mere Christianity next in the Lewis seminar. I'm also reading the Wise Heart and the Great Transformation for personal interest.

I'm reading Empress of mijak, and will be moving onto Riven Kingdom as soon as I've finished these last 15 pages.

#42 - Let me guess... It's the third book in a trilogy, it had (until book III, imho) a great magic system based on metals...?

#47 - Yep. I muscled through some more last night, I think I will finish it today. It's difficult because there are some exquisite twists and turns which make me want to finish, but I'm finding it quite painful.

#48 - I felt much the same way. Maybe for different reasons, but I really felt.. betrayed. The first two were such great reads!!!

48-49 >and yet hemalurgy was the missing piece.

Certainly the last book was not as 'fun' as the first 2 but I thought it was a good finish. Mostly. I have to look but I think I rated it lower than the other 2.

I'll be starting Beckwood Brae in the next day or 2, by our own David Webb aka DavidHWebb hope to enjoy it!

So what is the book you all are talking about? Sheesh!

*taps her foot*

It's a secret Morphy and we don't want you to know. ;)

Hero of Ages

#50 - You're correct of course, but it's still yuck. Hemalurgy I mean.

Just read Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (I love that book), and am making my way through The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. If there's better spring break reading than Douglas Adams, I don't want to hear about it! ;)

I have too many in progress right now:
Turmoil At Brede by Seldon Truss, The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene, Pigs Have Wings by P.G. Wodehouse, and Shark's Fins and Millet by I.R. Sues.

I finally finished Hero of Ages. I gave it four stars, but could not read it again any time soon. I feel that I've been put through a wringer.

Just finished The Immortal Prince by Jennifer Fallon (book 1 of the Tide Lords series) & loved it so much I dove straight into book 2 The Gods of Amyrantha, I've only read the prologue & the first chapter so far, but I'm pretty sure its gonna be just as gripping as book 1 was - i only stopped coz dinner needs to be cooked, lol :)

I just finished North Korea Kidnapped My Daughter and I Am Not Myself These Days and Hands of My Father. I wasn't terribly impressed with the first 2 but LOVED the latter. Now I'm starting This republic of Suffering and I think I am going to take a crack at The Book Thief.

Fingers crossed everyone!

Age of Bronze - A Thousand Ships by Eric Shanower
Beyond this Dark House by Guy Gavriel Kay
and finally started Od Magic by Patricia A McKillip

I have now got hold of a copy of The Eyre Affair but I'm not sure when I'll start it... I'm sure it'll be fun though.

Re-reading Watchmen is next on the list, after seeing the movie.

#55 "I gave it four stars, but could not read it again any time soon. I feel that I've been put through a wringer"

That actually sounds like quite an endorsement. I want / like books that challenge preconseptions and involve the reader. Of course I'm still waiting for ascention

I've just finsihed Hammer of God which is also the conclusion to a fascinating trilogy. Unfortunetly I also disliked it. Not because it was challenging but because it wasn't. Characters that had previously sparkled, didn't. Instead of an intruiging balance between good and evil, we had a black and white cut and mostly dried affair. Shame.

Hope her next book a sequel to her earlier series manages to recapture the spark.

I'm currently reading:
Harry, A History
The Book Thief
Persuasion
The Lightning Thief (started this one last night)

I know there's got to be another book that I'm not finished with, but I'm not to sure of which one it is.

I finished Uhura's Song and started Lost in a Good Book.

Re Hero of Ages, I was very interested in how MrsLee took to it since I was thinking my (lack of) religious beliefs may have coloured my reaction. But I guess not.

Bummage.

I finally finished Fool by Chris Moore (which STILL won't touchstone) and I started on Golden Fool, the second Tawny Man book this morning. I guess I'm in a foolish mood.

The Moore was funny, but not his best, I'm thinking.

I recently read Beautiful Children which was rather depressing. I'm following that up with a reread of all the Harry Potter books in preparation for watching the movie of Book 6 due out in July.

Okay, new reading list for March:

The Customer Is Always Wrong (review)
The Book Thief
Watermind (review)
The City and The Pillar (book club)
The Book of Joe

More books will be tacked onto the end as I clear books off the top. I've decided to alternate review copies with "no pressure" books.

March's audiobooks are:
Bud, Not Buddy
Timothy, or Notes of an Abject Reptile

I have also checked out 9 more audiobooks from the library to load onto my overburdened iPod which now has 50 books loaded on it and no end in sight.

Now, all I need is a vacation, a clean house, and 20 dinners pre-made in the fridge and I can relax

Oh, I forgot to mention the audiobook I'm currently listening to. The Night Ferry. It's pretty good so far.

I don't seem to be able to stop myself. I'm rereading Fool's Errand. Again. I've finished The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove though.

Sometime I'll write up my theory of the relationship between the Wit and the Skill in the Six Duchies as an essay.

#66 OOh, Will, I would read that! It is so nice to be back in the Six Duchies again. I really love Robin Hobb.

#66 - I'm with littlegeek; I'd love to read that!

I finished The Privilege of the Sword last night, and I do indeed have to upgrade it from 4 stars to 5. Normally, my star ratings either hold steady or drop, but I enjoyed every second of the time I spent reading this.

I'm now poised to begin The Fall of the Kings by Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman. I'll be sorry to say goodbye to Riverside when it's over; I've had a wonderful time revisiting the place.

If I ever get around to it, I'll have to post it (and find somewhere to host it...).

I'd read that too Will!!! *hopes you get arround to it sometime soon*

I miss the six duchies, but (as i think i've said somewhere in the GD before) my TBR pile seems to shout at me if i even consider a re-read, lol...

I made the mistake of picking up Water for Elephants about 6pm last night.

We went to bed late as I HAD to finish. Very good book and engrossing.

#71, Morphy, Water for Elephants is a good book isn't it? That was one of those kind of books I was sorry it was over when I finished it.

I finished Uhura's Song yesterday and started The Terror last night, really good so far, fitting in very neatly with what I've read about Lady Franklin and company.

Went to Starbucks this morning; grabbed a drink, a pastry, and a comfy chair. I then proceeded to read straight through Age of Innocence. I can't remember the last time I did something like that- oh yeah I can; last year. So relaxing!

#73 - Oh, I loved that book! Have you read Ethan Frome? How about The House of Mirth?

#71 - Yes, that book is a doozy. One of the best things I read last year, I think.

A friend at church insisted that I borrow and read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, and since I had heard it given high praise by clamairy and katylit, I wasn't hesitant, so I've added that to the other two I'm reading right now.

I'm still reading Cookwise, and my only attempt at one of the recipes tonight for Shallot Mashed Potatoes with Garlic was, well, yucky. I thought I had peeled mountains of potatoes, but it wasn't enough, and then they didn't cook long enough. I went by the recipe but it didn't work at all. Just goes to show that mashed potatoes is one of those thing that you have to cook by eye and not by recipe.

76> Add me to the list of people who LOVED the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - I've been trying to shove it on people for weeks now. Lovely book.

clam, I have read Ethan Frome- mum was a lit major, and that was one of her favourite short stories. I'll check out House of Mirth though, thanks for the tip!

I just finished Bill Bryson's Notes from a small island. Not my favorite by him, but I love anything he writes, I love his humor and his factual knowledge. Before that I finished Neal Stephenson's Anathem. I know it is a really love it or really hate it book, for me it was love. I have read negative reviews that point to other books that do similar themes better, I have taken that as a recommendations list :D.

After hunting around the house for my copy of In the Land of Time and Other Stories by Lord Dunsany (*pokes the touchstone* for about an hour without success (of course the book was pretty much right next to me when I started looking for it), I decided to polish off How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone, which I'm still torn about. It's left me feeling I've learned a lot, but it's also left me with a headache trying to piece the whole story together because it feels so fragmentary.

Now to work on some of my own pieces and then maybe I can finish my collection of Dunsany's stories afterwards...

Finished the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, and had to pick up my Essays of Elia by Charles Lamb which has been waiting patiently on my shelf for some years to be read. Enjoyed the first one, but need a quiet hayloft in a barn to concentrate on them. Sitting in a room where OH is flipping channels on the TV just doesn't work.

I finished rereading He, She and It by Marge Piercy and read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (yep, the whole thing :). I think I'll pick up Graceling by Kristin Cashore next.

As I recently bought fugitive prince I'm re-reading the series starting with curse of the mistwraith just lost in the land of parvaria again. Particularly good in a hit bath, with lots of steam everywhere.

I finished Od Magic by Patricia A. McKillip yesterday and am now about halfway through The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.

Been reading the RAMA series by Arthur C. Clark and Gentry Lee. I read them in the early 90s and enjoyed them. I found a deal for the set on Amazon so I picked them up.

Boy did I forget a lot.

Finished The Chanur Saga yesterday, and am now on to Chanur's Endgame. I tried to buy only Chanur's Homecoming, but the shop only had the omnibus... well, well. You can't have it all ;-)

I read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It was delightful. I was surprised to find out they weren't ruby slippers but silver slippers! I wonder why they changed them in the movie?

I'm in the middle of The Shell Seekers by Pilcher for my "Gentle Read" genre. It's okay. I'm having a hard time relating to any of the characters. They all seem so cold and selfish. It's good enough to finish but I won't be recommending it to anyone.

Currently reading The ABC Murders which is a good choice, since I am sick and semi-coherent.
Finished Aaron's Rod, which I disliked.

Finished Hail to the Chef last night- as good as State of the Onion! Also read Weddings Can Be Murder; a little more romance than novel, but oh well.

#79 - Only read The House of Mirth if you can handle being thoroughly depressed.

I just finished Lost in a Good Book. I'm thinking of building a shrine to Jasper Fforde somewhere in my home. I have a few to read before I move onto the next 'Next' novel, though. Like American Rust to start...

#91 - Tried to get Lost in a good book ever since I finished Eyre Affair. Seems real hard to get, here :-(

#91 Clam, I will help you build that shrine. I've got The Well of Lost Plots in my TBR, and I am using all my resolve not to throw aside the other books ahead of it, and just read myself silly.

I finished Fahrenheit 451 last night. Stayed up late, even. Usually, I cave in and turn off the light to listen to the radio. I am off to the library to see about some YA books for a change.

OK, alright, I'll confess: looking for short, quick reads to beef up my 75 Book Challenge list. I am way behind.

In between Harry Potter - ing, I've been rereading It Came From Bob's Basement, a fun book if you like classic sci-fi and monster movies.

I'm reading Atonement and just finished up a listen to Sense and Sensibility in audiobook format. I'm excited to start Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde on the car ride home tonight! It's another Thursday Next novel.

#94, maggie1944 - Slimmest fantasies I can think of, that are rich and rewarding: Tea With the Black Dragon by R. A. MacAvoy and The Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula K. Le Guin

Fastest reads, slick style, great characters, if you like mysteries, try Dick Francis.

I just finished Atonement and To Kill a Mockingbird. I'm working on The Eyre Affair, Eclipse and The Stand.

I haven't read Dick Francis in years. I will have to look for some of his books.

I gave up on The Peaceable Kingdom: A Year in the Life of the Philadelphia Zoo by John Sedgewick. I was looking for fun and interesting, but it was dull and often horrifying.

You know, the touchstone was there, and now it won't come up. Grrr.

Looks like a lot of us are on a Fforde kick, huh? I'll nab The Well of Lost Plots at the library after I finish American Rust and 1776. I don't want to drop my Jefferson/Revolution thing just yet.

#88 - Morphy - MGM made them ruby slippers because red looked jazzier in Technicolor than silver did. Then, MGM got a trademark on the ruby slippers. So, any Wizard of Oz figures/collectibles/representations that aren't licensed by MGM can't use the ruby slippers.

I finished Ozma of Oz today. I must say I wasn't impressed, but then today hasn't been a good reading day. I tried reading my Penguin copy of Tristan and Isolde (of which I can't find the touchstone, alas) afterwards, but it just gave me a heache.

I'll be alternating it with other books, I think. It'll make for slower reading on the whole, but hopefully will increase the experience.

I started First Among Sequels this morning. It's decent, I suppose, but I'm having some trouble with it. I feel like Fforde is just recycling the same old ideas, and there's not really much of a plot yet. It's taken me ages and ages to get through the first hundred pages. I really hope it picks up soon. I had so much fun with the first four books.

This is my first post besides the welcome thread, so I am going to just jump in.

Currently, I am reading Kim Harrison's White Witch, Black Curse.

I have Lora Leigh's Maverick waiting in the wings.

After that, I hope to hit the TBRs for a while. I am not expecting anything else new until April.

Oh, I am also listening to Breaking Dawn . This is the second time through for this series. I "read" them the first time and I am listening this time.

I do plan to download The Book of Love by Kathleen McGowan soon to my iPod.

Now, back to my reading . . .

Elaine, how is the Harrison? I find that she is uneven. Some of the books I love, some are just meh.

#100 - I think my husband fell down The Well of Lost Plots, I'm supposed to be reading it after him, but he's stuck. My daughter loved it, and loved Something Rotten even more. I'll just have to steal it from him if he doesn't climb out soon.

I just finished The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. Though I found it hard to read, the ideas were refreshing even though I don't agree with half. At least it gave a good overview of mythology in the world. I'll never look at a movie the same way ;)

#107 - I have wanted to read that book ever since Tane first mentioned it in here a couple of years ago. I bought Campbell's The Power of Myth but found myself a bit put off at the way he states his theories like they were facts. I think if I can just get past that, and see him as someone who is just saying what he thinks, I'll be better off.

I am loving the Essays of Elia. He rambles quite a bit, then sets in with a zinger! Yesterday's ramble turned into a very pointed rant (only he rants so obscurely and gently) about people who borrow books from one's shelves. I love it.

I'm currently reading Fast Women by Jennifer Crusie for the Romance Group and picked up The Mirador by Sarah Monette from the library today which will be my next read.

I got New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant from the library. It's not so new, published in 1987, but I've already found several recipes I can't wait to try, and I'm only in the soups! Now if only my pesky children would eat some of them, it would be great!

I started The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti this morning. I can see how it would be wickedmadawesome if I were heavily invested in the characters, but I'm just not. I'm halfway through now, and I'm still waiting for it to click.

I'm still creeping along through Tristan and Isolde, but I doubt I'll finish it in March. I'm hoping to read about one chapter a day, maybe one or two more. Instead I've sailed through Equal Rites now and am considering what to alternate my slow, slow reading with now. Too. Many. Books.

Finsihed Curse and onto Ships of Merior

#113 you can't have too many books!

Sure, you can. Relatively speaking anyway. ^-~

Technically you can have more books than you will ever have the time to read. But I don't think that's 'too many books'. You have to have a choice to select from!!!
;-)

I am reading book #1 of the series after having finished book #2. LOL

Griffin & Sabine An Extraordinary Correspondence is my effort to read a gaggle of short books to beef up my 75 books challenge list. At my current rate of 1 or 2 books a month it will take me a year and a half, or more, to meet the goal.

I actually have been intrigued by the Griffin & Sabine An Extraordinary Correspondence series for years so I do not count it as wasted time.

edit to try to get the touchstone to load

I'll be finishing Mere Christianity this weekend. Put a Wise Heart aside for a while, but will go back to it at some point. I'm currently reading Welcome to the Jungle which I picked up on Wednesday from Borders and am enjoying. Haven't gotten back to the Hobbit since I read the first chapter in a single sitting. Went back to Borders today (the friend that had to take her lappy into the shop was going to get it back) and came away with copies of Coraline and Measuring the Immeasurable. I will probably read Coraline this weekend, not sure when I'll get to the other book though.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy by Hirsch, et al.

Because I can read it only in small doses, I'm also reading The Blind Assassin by Atwood.

I started The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson this morning. The prose is a little purple in places, but I'm enjoying it nonetheless.

I have stalled somewhat with Chanur's Legacy. Somehow it feels a bit predictable. But I'm determined to finish, and I still holding hopes for surprises...

I am starting and planning on finishing, tonite, The Golden Mean. It is the last of the three books I need to read. I think I am finished with this author.

I just finished book 3 of the "Chronicles of the Necromancer" Dark Haven by Gail Z. Martin only to discover that *SPOILER ALERT HERE*

not only did they leave tons of ends dangling midstream but....urgh there are at least 6 books planned ...and 4 doesn't come out til next year *pout*

as for the books - so far they are just a fun rollicking fantasy ride saving the world - bonding with friends ya know the schtick.

I picked up John Green's books and I'm quite liking them. I finished An Abundance of Katherines and now I'm reading Looking for Alaska.

I am now embarking into the world of Robin Hobb - the Ship of Magic and other 2 in series are up on deck...so to speak

Last night (read in the early hours of the new day) I finished Journey to the River Sea. Not quite lived up to expectations, but I did read the whole thing in one go so that should say something.

A quick and happy read was finished yesterday evening: Augie Wren's Christmas Story by Paul Auster. I liked it. I recommend it. It is so short that if I tell you anything it may well be a spoiler.

I've got Garth Nix's trilogy Sabriel I read last night and Lirael I started this morning.

Re: 120. I just started The Gargoyle too, and loving it. Especially when relating to the recently finished The Hero With A Thousand Faces, and all that was said there about Dante's work... Halfway through The Gargoyle now (and the touchstones won't load... ah well).

Just finished The Stupidest Angel, Christopher Moore. The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield, and the Stress of Her Regard, Tim Powers (spanned Feb and Mar).

Have a bunch of reading for school (that doesn't count), but a number of e-books I downloaded that I want to read or re-read older titles.

Can e-books count?

maggie1944: have you read travels in the scriptorium by Auster? Very quick (not light) read.

Of course e-books count, Wid_get! ^-^ They are books after all. ^-^ You'll find people listing their audiobooks too. They're books. They just don't happen to be in a nice paper package. ^-~

Somewhere today I'll finish The Alchemy of Stone, but since I haven't finished it yet... No idea yet what else I'm going to take to read on the train.

Today I read Wolverine: Origin and Magician: Apprentice, Vol 2 (both graphic novels), and started on Was by Geoff Ryman.

I really enjoyed Wolverine (one of my alltime favourite characters). His origin story is very clever.

Was is still in a confusing state for me. It's not quite settled into a groove yet, but it has a lot of potential.

I'm enjoying the pictures of the books I'm reading on my profile page right now. Aside from Lamb, I have two very Biblical titles. Twelve Baskets of Crumbs and Pearls Before Swine. :)

wid_get, re your message 130. Nope have not read that book and will keep my eye peeled for it at the library.

BTW, you can count anything you want to count. The only rule in LT is you get to do with your lists whatever you want to do with them.

Finshed the First Chronicles of Amber last night. I'll take a break before reading the Second Chronicles, and maybe dip into Vance's Tales of the Dying Earth.

I am still reading Mendel in the Kitchen, about genetically modified food. Very interesting. And The Canterbury Tales. That one is more because I just want to read it, but I'm not enjoying it as much as I thought I would. I'm getting pretty tired of the way women are portrayed in the whole thing. But I'm determined to finish.

I finished Beowulf (the Seamus Heaney translation - very good), and I'm starting The Divine Comedy.

I read Yellow Star yesterday, and am in the process of reading Robert Benchley written by his son Nathaniel. Also The Truman Show - the shooting script. Also Madam, Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart

I'm totally crazy, I know, but I feel I have to reread the central trilogy in the Chanur series before I can write a post about the series on my blog. So I'm going to reread what amounts to three books (Chanur's Venture, The kif strikes back and Chanur's Homecoming) that I've just read.

Ought to keep me occupied a couple of days. Considering Mount TBR it's not altogether sane, but I don't care.

I started Scott's The Bride of the Lammermoor last night. I have this really old copy printed in columnar style that a library (I think) rebound. This might be heavy hoeing.

I need a Nero Wolfe (really and Archie Goodwin) fix, so picked up Three Men Out to reread.

After reading a couple of depressing books, I read Dance Upon the Air by Nora Roberts. It had food, books, magic, love, friends and sex. What more could you ask for?

*sighs happily*

I finished Beat the Reaper yesterday. And I recommend it only to people who have a tendency towards a weird or perverse sense of humor; too much blood, death, dying, ugly urban reality junk woven between medical information and typical mafia stereotypes.

I started Renegade's Magic by Robin Hobb this morning. I normally like to gulp down her books one after the other, but I just couldn't do it with the Soldier Son Trilogy. It's been nearly seven months since I finished the oh-so disappointing Forest Mage. I haven't yet decided how I feel about Renegade's Magic.

One advantage to being off work ill is that I can read for a few hours at a time before falling asleep again. finished warhost of vastmark in two consolidated days! ready for Fugitive Prince now.

I just finished The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson, and I am not sure of what I am starting yet... I forgot to bring a back up book with me, so I am facing 1.5 hours on the train with no reading, but I might buy a book during my break ;)

I've read a bunch of books so far this month. Yesterday, I read the YA SF book Unwind by Neal Shusterman, which was fantastic even though it made me tear up three times and I was reading it in the bookstore. Um. Yeah.

#128 - Oh, Musereader, let us know what you think. I've only read the first of the trilogy, but I was impressed enough to buy all three and my daughter read them all and loved them. She said each one was better than the one(s) before it, so the third was her fav.

I FINALLY finished American Rust and I have some very mixed feelings about it. I have to write an ER review, still. I just started Coraline as a palate cleanser. So far so good. :o)

(WTF does the touchstone for American Rust point to American Steel, when there are over a hundred of copies of Rust in the system?)

>147 bluesalamanders: I was checking out Unwind on Amazon yesterday and just reading the description gave me goosebumps. I'm not entirely sure if it is a book I want to read or not.

149 Jenson

It was a fantastic book, but god, it was depressing and horrifying too. I didn't know what I was getting into when I picked it up.

#148, I was really impressed, i thought the first one had a bit of clunky exposition in the middle of the sea and didn't flow so well in the first half. The other two are quite improved and are more like one book split into two, Lirael starts 14 years after Sabriel and Abhorsen starts where Lirael leaves off. There was plenty foreshadowing that some revelations are revalations only for the characters, but not in the stupid charater way (which I hate), in the we've seen things they haven't way. I liked the middle one, but I always like kid growing up stories.

I've been doing a lot of CK entry lately, and I keep finding books with bookmarks in them that I had forgotten I started. Now my TBF pile is enormous!

I finished Paperweight by Stephen Fry yesterday, then promptly started The Adventures of Augie March.

So far in March, I've finished:

Blossom by Andrew Vachss (decent, but not his best)
Deathwish by Rob Thurman (the more I read, the more I like this series)
Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff (good but slightly disappointing)
Born Fighting by James Webb (excellent)
American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America by Chris Hedges (excellent)
Hard Rain by Barry Eisler (fluff, but good fluff)
Bangkok 8 by John Burdett (excellent)
Ammunition by Ken Bruen (not his best, but decent)
Down in the Zero by Andrew Vachss (one of his best)
Fool by Christopher Moore (my new favorite Moore title)
Footsteps of the Hawk by Andrew Vachss (just ok)
False Allegations by Andrew Vachss (not good at all)
Night and Day by Robert B. Parker (only for the Parker fan)
Rain Storm by Barry Eisler (fluff, but good fluff)
Imager by L.E. Modesitt Jr. (good, but not great)
Mop Men: Inside the World of Crime Scene Cleaners by Alan Emmins (only for those with a strong stomach)

Just read Nova Swing, M. John Harrison, recommend having read Light first. Nova isn't listed as a sequel, but does jump straight into the slipstream left by Light.

My 'car' book right now is William Gibson, Spook Country. Feels like a regurgitated Pattern Recognition, not bad though.

Looks like I have to read Germs, Guns, and Steel, it's been mentioned 3 times in the last 24 hours, including the review on my front page.

Reading e-book, The Difference Engine, William Gibson & Bruce Sterling

To those on a Fforde kick -- don't forget the Nursery Crimes books! I wish he'd do a new one of those too! The 4th Bear is pretty darn awesome.

Started Colonel Starbottle's Client by Bret Harte. I liked it at first, but his several of his stories end in an odd way. I really love all the settings in my familiar territory though, meaning the gold country in California.

#149 & #150,

Well, thanks to you guys I now have Unwind on my TBR. I ordered that Unwind, The Hunger Games and The Flood by Stephen Baxter from the Book Depository. Hafta feed my never ending interest in the post-apocalytic/dystopian genre I guess... *sigh*

I just finished listening to Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult. It was pretty good up until the very end. Then it pissed me off. Ugh. I'm taking a vow to not read anything by her for a while.

I think next I'm going to read Uglies and then maybe The Blood King. I also want to read The Illearth War while Lord Foul's Bane is fresh in my head.

For my next audio book I'm downloading The Almost Moon.

Yesterday, I finished The Sorceress and the Cygnet and I'm hoping to finish the sequel somewhere before the end of the month. We'll see, though. I seem to have got myself a rather stuffed end-of-the-month with things I'd like to do. ^-^; (Like, you know, essays and projects and how to fill up the time I'd usually spend buying books meaningfully...)

How can i read " the new joy of sex "online for free? Many thanks !

If you already have it in your library, why do you want to read it online? You can't read books on LibraryThing. This site is for cataloging and discussion. Try a Google search for online books. I know Project Gutenberg has a lot of titles, and there are others.

I'm re-reading the His Dark Materials series by Pullman.

It's getting sad. I read this a few years ago and I barely remember any of it. The memory is the second thing to go.

162> I forget, what's the first thing to go?

I finished Water For Elephants yesterday and loved it.

Today I started Time and Chance, and hopefully will finish Standard of Honor (my bed time read) this week.

I have also read Green Eggs and Ham several times this week, it seems that Daniel loves the rhyming of it and he laughs and laughs when I read it.

As do we all when reading Dr. Seuss!

I am reading The Whiskey Rebels by David Liss this week. Historical mystery/thriller.

#164 - Yes, Water for Elephants rocks. :o)

#151 - Thanks for filling me in. At some point I'll have to read the second and third books.

I finished Coraline yesterday and really enjoyed it. So, now I am thinking American Gods must have been unusual for a Gaiman book.

Whenever I see the title Water for Elephants, it makes me laugh. I'm not sure that's appropriate (I haven't read the book) but there is a reason. My sister went from working at a department store to a library not too long ago, and for the first few months that she worked at the library, every time someone asked for Water for Elephants, she thought they were saying "Waterford elephants"...

I'm starting The Fallen Man by Tony Hillerman and "I Remember Laura", a collection of remembrances of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

166 - Gaiman is a very variable author. Some people like all of his stuff, others only like portions, still others none of it. His main areas seem to be Fun and juvenile with a bit of scary, Supernatural and (disturbing) adult novels, Arty and supernatural graphic novels (with a good dose of disturbing), Children's short fiction and Adult short fiction.

I'm still reading Was and also reading Red Son and Scarlet Traces. Red Son is very clever and well written, too.

MrsLee: Wish I was at your elbow. I love Tony Hillerman, and I'll be interested in what you think. And I'm a huge Laura I. Wilder fan, and you have what may be the only book about her that I haven't read!

I am reading American Prince: A Memoir about Tony Curtis and it is surprisingly entertaining. He seems to have hit a balance between honest and being a gossip. He does seem to "tell all" without being mean spirited or salacious. I must confess I like Hollywood biography, autobiography, and memoirs.

MrsLee, I love I Remember Laura! I'll be interested to know what you think. MerryMary, IMHO it's worth the read- even if you have a massive pile of TBR calling your name!

Mary, I may have to ask you to chase after me. I have an omnibus of Hillerman's works lying around and I really should get to reading them. (Not soon, though, I think. The coming months will be dedicated to the Once upon a Time reading challenge I'm participating in and I'm not 100% sure they'd fit the bill.)

In honour of the challenge I've now started The Coyote Road and am enjoying it so far. I plan to read 6-8 tales of the anthology over the coming 4 weekends, so I haven't finished it yet and technically might not be allowed to count it as a March read. ^-~

Edited because I'm a fool who forgets her direct objects...

I'm reading Jigs & Reels by Joanne Harris of the Chocolat authorship. Very quirky bunch of short stories...she has a little introduction at the start of each one - what inspired her and so forth to write it. Really enjoying them, though some are a bit creepy in some ways (like the story about a future Hollywood gone mad - with funerals turned into a celebrity event).

MerryMary - I really enjoyed the Hillerman book. He writes so well! It's a pleasure to read a mystery which is a good mystery and also a good read, if you know what I mean.

You need the "I Remember Laura!" book! A very loving tribute and collection of memories from those who knew her. Recipes which have been gathered from those who lived in DeSmet, and more. The author had a bit of trouble finding memories of her because she was so old when she became well known, most of her childhood friends and acquaintances had passed on already. There is a poignant recollection from a woman who had lived through the long winter of her mother and how they nearly lost her to a breakdown due to the isolation and heavy workload.

Sounds wonderful. It's on my list.

I too love Hillerman. I am amazed at how easy it is to learn some Navajo lore without even trying!

#176 - Not only the lore, but the difference in perspectives and outlooks too.

I finished Renegade's Magic by Robin Hobb this afternoon. I didn't enjoy the Soldier Son Trilogy as much as here Six Duchies books, by any stretch, but I really liked how the trilogy ended. I teared up a fair bit over the last hundred pages, and I finished with a grin on my face.

I plan to read the first annual Year's Best Fantasy and Horror collection next. I feel like some short fiction.

I'm reading Rudy Rucker's Infinity and the Mind.

#179 I remember that book; I read it yonks ago. Are you liking it?

I'm reading slowly this month, as I've been on a knitting tear, but I just need to say how much I'm enjoying Golden Fool, especially after the travesty that was the ending of BSG. It's such a joy to read something that I know will remain coherent and faithful to the world and characters so carefully created.

I hesitate to confess I am reading Brisingr by Christopher Paolini as so many have panned it and attacked his family for his "fame". I do not know the truth of the accusations that his "publishing" family pulled strings to get him published at an early age; nor, do I necessarily agree his books are trash. So far I am enjoying it as a good escapist fantasy book. So, to borrow an expression from a younger generation, bite me.

I read Uglies today. I liked it and am looking forward to reading Pretties. I just need to decide if I'm going to wait for it on paperbackswap or if I will download it on Audible.

>181 maggie1944: maggie1944, I have to confess that I tried Eragon and didn't finish it, BUT all my nieces and nephews (in their 20s) love the series and my mom (almost 70) is a Paolini fan, so the author must be doing something right! My new-to-me fantasy find was the Bartimaeus trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. I have read through it twice and it was even better the second time around.

182 - Ooh, I liked those ones. They were unexpectedly good. I was only ho-hum on Extras though.

I've just started The Fox Woman - a fairytale of sorts about a fox who falls in love with a married man in ancient Japan. So far it's poetical, lyrical and haunting..and I've barely read any. I'm in mythology heaven.

I'm reading Nine Parts of Desire. I like Brook's writing style. I also read March by her and liked it.

Well, I finished 1776 this morning, and I feel like a total ignoramus for not having had a clue that George Washington & Company were so close to despair so often during the early years of the revolution. I am pleased to have been told by my children that they are being taught a much more 'realistic' version of history than I was as a yoot.

I'm not sure what I'm picking up next...

Clam, I'm currently finishing up The Whiskey Rebels by David Liss. Well-done historical fiction with instructional bits on Alexander Hamilton and his Bank of the United States scheme. Well, to be fair, there were lots of schemers -- not unlike current economic events! At any rate, I'm giving it a thumbs-up, if your TBR pile fails to offer anything enticing.

#188 - Thanks, Jill, I'll keep it in mind. As it is my stacks are tilting towards the sky already. :o)

And I liked Washington's Crossing better than 1776.

Finished two of mine, so started Twelfth Night and The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke.

MrsLee, I liked The Ladies of Grace Adieu!

I'm looking forward to it, I loved Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, but was afraid she wouldn't write anything else for a long time, I heard it took her 10 years to write that.

I need to read that, I loved Jonathan Strange so much. It's the same world, alternate history, right?

#194 - Yes, its like a collection of short stories having to do with the same subject, but Strange and Norrell are not the center of them, and there is at least one about the Raven King. Same mood and writing tone.

After about a fortnight reading only the first four wars of light and shadow I've now reached the end of the books I own and have to go and buy the rest of the series.

Meanwhile Novemeber's ER book finally turned up Busted Flush so that's jumped to the top of the queue. It's odd so far, I think a brief introduction to the universe might have helped although this is I think quite deep into the series. Anyone know anything about the wild cards universe and care to fill me in on background premises?

I finished The Almost Moon yesterday. It was pretty disappointing.

# 1943/194 I tried Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, but left it halfway through... too slow I think it was... Your enthusiasm makes me want to pick it up again...

Jonathan Strange worked for me because I'm a big fan of Victorian novelists. It was right up my alley, but some people just hate the slower pace and other Victorianisms. To each hir own.

I've started reading Once Bitten by Nikki Stafford as my secondary read. I love me some Buffy studies, and I think Stafford's guides are great.

I finished Wizard's First Rule yesterday- it was very refreshing to read a well-developed plot line in a book that took me several sessions to finish. I read very quickly, so the size of the book is exciting all in itself!

On the other end of the spectrum, I'm currently reading though American Born Chinese. It's my first graphic novel; so far so good. The guy who let me borrow his copy is very excited about discussing it with me. He's a real intellectual (just like you all here!), so it will be nice to discuss books in a real-life, informal setting.

I finally finished Golden Fool which was awesome, and now I'm reading The Women, the new one by TC Boyle. It's about what a nasty human being Frank Lloyd Wright was. I just read an article about narcissistic personality disorder, this should be fun.

#202 - Oh I want a full review when you're done with it, lg. I'll probably wait for it to be "remaindered." yes, I've become that frugal cheap in my book-buy habits.

I just finished The Knitting Circle (not to be confused with The Friday Night Knitting Club.) It's the story of a mother who finds the strength to go on after the death her toddler. It is semi-autobiographical, which I didn't realize until looking up the author online after I finished the book. I just started Sing Them Home and I have been sucked in 100%!

clam, you need a kindle. Initial outlay is large, but you get to read brand newly published books for 10 bucks. totally pays for itself in no time.

I'll post a review when I'm done. It's great so far, but then again, Boyle is always great.

#204 - Yes, but can you loan them out to loved ones when you're done with them? ;o)

Truth is my husband wants a kindle. He is looking forward to being able to enlarge font size!

#205 No, and I have experienced some of my friend's disappointment on that one. (But they can actually afford to buy books themselves.)

I'm going to ask for a Sony Reader for my birthday. Don't know if I'll get it but I guess it doesn't hurt to ask.

I recently bought an iPod touch, and it makes a great little e-reader. If any of you don't mind reading on something that small, (don't worry, you can adjust the font size!), it could be a good, multi-purpose alternative to the Kindle. I believe Americans can get a Kindle app for it, too.

Hubby has an iPod touch and the difference is, you don't have the ubernifty extra nice for the eyes backgroud. A kindle page looks remarkably like a book, and you can read it in direct sunlight.

I guess March is almost over, so it's O.K. to Kindle this thread.

littlegeek - I've decided that I would think very seriously about a Kindle when it would play audio books as well. The newest one says it does, but I wonder if it plays them with the special readers some books have, or if it is just a computer generated voice. I've tried that and couldn't bear it for long.

It's rather a moot point now though, just found out yesterday that OH has to have some major dental work done, so probably no more luxuries this year, unless I can get employed.

You all know I am a big Kindle fan. I've looked at the ads for the Kindle 2 and think they have done some good improvements including putting the turn-the-page buttons in better locations so accidental page turning is less likely.

I just finished reading Brisingr on it and am starting Mrs Astor Regrets. I also just bought The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I am a reading fool....

maggie - I loved TGL&PPS. :) I just don't like to type out the whole name!

I finished Twelfth Night and have started Blue Like Jazz after everyone and their uncle told me I should read it.

MrsLee, I think it's just a computer-generated voice, but I'm not 100% sure. This might help answer the question too.

*half-asleep, goes move portion of comment to the right thread*

I did read and finish Pride of Bagdad, though!

Wow. Step out of the Dragon for a bit (okay, I admit it's been more like several looong months), and it explodes. Well something must have exploded. Threads everywhere! I keep finding them under tables, behind the bar, wrapped around the mummy. Now it'll probably be several more months until I manage to sort them all out.

Anyways, most recently I've been on a supernatural fluff kick with Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series. I've just finished Industrial Magic the fourth in the series. I'm also partway through City of Shadows by Ariana Franklin which started out slow and jerky but is starting to get better.

And I've been listening to The Secret Garden which I've watched numerous times but never actually read. It's wonderful!

Hi, sandragon. Good to see you. Good luck with the threads - things got a little wild there for awhile. Warning: look out for blue-footed boobys. (spellcheck doesn't like that last word, but I don't think they are spelled boobies!)

My latest reads were The Truman Show - The Shooting Script and Madam, Will You Talk? - a wonderful re-read by Mary Stewart.

SPOILER:

I just finished reading The Princess Bride and all I have to say is that Goldman is a little shit. He had me totally convinced that there was an S. Morgenstern. Little bugger. Good story. But he's still a bugger.

Heh. I love that book! And I've got the movie from Netflix right here on the coffee table. Come on over and watch!

#216 - LOL!!! That is just about my EXACT response when I put the book down. :D

*tries to figure out how you would go about mixing rhoombas + smurfs to get blue footed boobies, decides not to dwell on it too much for now*

#215 - Hi there MerryMary. Last month I read The Wicked Day which I had been leery about, seeing as how it was about Mordred and the end of Camelot. But I loved it just as much as her Merlin trilogy. Stewart writes beautifully. I'm looking forward to reading some more Mary Stewarts this year and I'm glad to hear her other books are good too.

I have Wicked Day but haven't read it yet. Will do so immediately.

Hi, sandragon, good to see you back!

Thanks, maggie :o)
Like sinking into a comfy chair *sigh*
I've missed this place.

Morphy, I should really thank you for that spoiler! I can stop trying figure out which version to look for!

Yesterday I finished reading Pay the Piper. Short, but satisfying read.

Welcome back, sandragon!

I finished The Year's Best Fantasy: First Annual Collection yesterday afternoon. It contained some truly remarkable stories. I'm still shaking from the final selection (Alan Moore's "The Hypothetical Lizard").

Now I'm reading Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones by Brandon Sanderson. It's fun so far, but perhaps it wasn't the best follow-up to Moore's superb novella.

I am struggling with what to read today: I have a dirty kitchen with plenty of dirty dishes to wash so I want to really get into some book so I can ignore the kitchen - I have opened and started reading several: PhoDOGraphy: How to Get Great Pictures of Your Dog from the library; also, library copies of The Hobbit, Charles de Lint's The Wild Wood, and Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. On my kindle I've started reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, A New Earth, The Eyre Affair, and Dancing in the Street by Barbara Ehrenreich. So! I am looking for advice. Any suggestions as to which of these might be the best for a long afternoon of reading as it is cold and rainy outside, there is no reason to not read.

maggie, since you asked, here's my two cents- I love reading the Hobbit for the escapism of Middle Earth, and the overall tone would compliment the rain outside. On the other hand, you could probably get though the Eyre Affair in an afternoon, and if you do so uninterrupted you're less likely to be confused by any of the little plot twists. There you go- for what it's worth!

By no means should you cave to the call of the kitchen. :)

I'm doing the kitchen too - but I've got The Vor Game audiobook from the library and I'm listening to it while I work. Audiobooks make tedious tasks much more bearable. I've used the Harry Potter series (Stephen Fry version) for years - it got us across Canada by car without killing the kids and has accompanied me through any number of tedious sessions of jam-making and baking and painting and such. They don't replace actually curling up with a paper book and a cup of tea, but when you have to work they make it better.

Well, I did it. The dirty dishes remain and I have finished reading Charles de Lint's The Wild Wood. I couldn't have picked a better book. It is about an artist living in a cabin in Canada and dealing with her love of the natural surroundings; and the faeries there. His descriptions of the north woods and the weather and the natural creatures are so parallel to the lovely environment I have here in my little housesitting cabin, on my favorite island in Washington State. Ah, life is good.

I am going to do the dishes before its lights out for the 8:30 pm demonstration.

I started The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova today. It was on my TBR pile and I had read some recent comments about it being good.

#229 - I loved The Historian, some have complained that it was too slow and wordy. I really enjoyed all the detail. It was one of my favorites from last year.

I have just finished The Jesuit and the Skull (nonfiction) about a priest who studied and lectured on evolution despite the protests of the church. It was a bit slow in places, but I enjoyed it very much overall.

Also Misfortune by Stace Wesley about a foundling boy raised as a girl due to the insanity of his/her adopted father. It was a very good novel. I will likely read this one again.

I am now about halfway through Carter beats the Devil. It is a fun read so far, I look forward to the rest.

My TBR stack is actually getting a little low (shocking). However, I just received a gift certificate to the local bookstore for my birthday!!

@224 - Hi xicanti. Thanks!

Still reading City of Shadows, but I've also started another Kelley Armstrong, Haunted. This series seems to be like potato chips for me; I can never stop until the whole bag is gone. And I just can't help but pick up the next book, no matter my good intentions to finish something else.

March has been a good reading month for me, I'm not sure why, but I've read 16 books this month with the potential of reading two more before the end if I get off of LT and into my reading chair.

Anyway, I finished Blue Like Jazz, liked it a lot, glad I listened to folks who told me I had to read it. Also finished The Ladies of Grace Adieu, loved it, it is a real comfort read. Tonight I begin Thursday the Rabbi Walked Out by Harry Kemelman and The Exile by Pearl S. Buck.

I finished a Wise Heart yesterday. A friend recently introduced me to Terry Pratchett and I'm currently enjoying the Last Continent. I also picked up a copy of Small Gods which will probably be my next Pratchett read. I'm making my way through Watchmen in preparation for the movie. I'm also reading Jesus and the Disinherited for school. I should be starting a new book for my CS Lewis seminar as well, but I don't know which yet.

I started The Courtesan by Susan Carroll this morning. It's a rather predictable historical romance, but I'm still enjoying it quite a bit.

Blitzed through the miracle at speedy motors which is more of the same charming Botswanian life, and am now reading evolution annoying anthromorphic in places but so far pretty good.

I made the mistake the night before last of picking up The Memory Keepers Daughter just before bed. I didn't get any sleep but I finished the book.

Now I'm reading Pretties. I'll probably finish it today.

You probably look a bit jaded, Jenn. I keep hearing very mixed reviews of that book.

I finished Thursday the Rabbi Walked out, not my favorite of the series, I knew the killer before he even killed anyone. Doubt I'll have time to finish my other book before tomorrow, but I plan to wallow in it tonight. :) For once I don't feel like starting any others for a bit.

I started The Hero of Ages yesterday but a few pages in I realized that I had no idea what was going on, I don't remember enough from the first two books. So now I have to reread Mistborn and The Well of Ascension. It's torture, I tell you.

There's a plot summary of the first two books in the back of The Hero of the Ages. I used it to refresh my memory, and it may be enough for you.

Just finished Persuasion for the upteenth time. This reading was for Book Club, and we had a nice afternoon discussing the book, eating Shepherd's Pie, and watching clips from two of the movie adaptations.

I *heart* my book club.

239 drneutron

I don't actually mind rereading the first two, but thanks.

Not so much Fantasy..as Fantastical...The Island of the Day Before by Umberto Eco.....definitely in the realm of the Fantastic....but it's Eco..and for his language alone he gets my undying respect..

Quit reading The Spell of the Sensuous. Abram is far too florid.

Starting reading Minnesota, a history by Lass- MUCH better. Easy and Interesting!