Books to the Sky

#102 - North by Northanger by Carrie Bebris

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:14:00 +0000

North by Northanger is another in a series of Mr. & Mrs. Darcy mysteries by Carrie Bebris.

Sometimes Bebris' characterizations of Austen's characters seemed a bit harsh, or forced. Darcy seems a bit mean-spirited at times, and Elizabeth comes off as weak-willed and scared of Darcy's family. I really didn't enjoy this book, although I did enjoy the 2 earlier books. Bebris' Darcy mysteries have always pushed a bit past the line of believability when it comes to the P&P characters, and it was just a bit too far this time.

It's not a bad read, if you can stop yourself from constantly wondering if the characters would actually behave the way they do in the story. Just a bit too contrived, in my opinion.

#101 - Fool Moon by Jim Butcher

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:08:00 +0000

Fool Moon is the 2nd book in the Dresden Files series. Business is still slow for the Chicago based wizard, until a string of incredibly gruesome murders has Dresden helping out the Chicago policeforce.

Could a werewolf be loose in the city??

I enjoy Butcher's books so much! Totally entertaining! It's like Sam Spade + magic = Dresden. Just fun to read!! The television show (short-lived, Thank God!) was hard to watch -- but the books are awesome!

Butcher's stories are a great mix of the old PI style, fantasy and mystery. Definitely worth reading!

Juli

#100 - A Charmed Death by Madelyn Alt

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:04:00 +0000

This is the 2nd book in this series. Maggie O'Neill is still working at Enchantments, the mysterious and mystical local antique shop. She is just starting to try out her powers as a new witch when a teenager is murdered after visiting the shop.

Maggie uses her powers and intuition to solve the crime.

This is another fun, cozy read by Alt. It's a fun mix of humor and mystery, with a dash of creepy thrown in for extra fun.

This is a light, fun read -- great for a day at the pool or beach!

#99 - Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:28:00 +0000

Imagine the days when the Circus came into town with a big parade and everyone gathered to watch the elephants put up the big tent. This book really gives the reader the feel of the old-time circus. The good feelings -- kids having fun, popcorn, and the excitement of the performances....and the bad side....neglected or mistreated animals, roughnecks, thieves, and the challenges and danger of being a performer.

Gruen's writing pulls you into the circus world and the life of the main character, Jacob Jankowski. Jacob joins the circus after having to leave college without completing his veterinary degree. He's put in charge of the circus menagerie and finds it challenging, especially one elephant named Rosie who just resists being trained to perform.

Most of the time I find myself disappointed when I read a book that came out with as much hype as this one. But, I found myself pleasantly surprised.

Let yourself escape to the Big Top -- read this book!!

Gruen has also written another book about relationships with animals called "Riding Lessons and Flying Changes.''

# 98 - Death Match by Matt Forbeck

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:23:00 +0000

This is the 3rd book in the Blood Bowl series by Matt Forbeck. It's based on a Games Workshop fantasy football game, which we enjoy playing with our friends.

In this book, Dirk 'Dunk' Hoffnung and the rest of the Bad Bay Hackers are playing the game of their lives to prevent the destruction of of their kingdom. It's rough, it's riotous, it's downright dangerous --- it's definitely Blood Bowl!!!

Forbeck delivers another great Blood Bowl story in this book! There's also a 4th book that has come out: Rumble in the Jungle! I haven't read it yet -- but I definitely will!

#95-#97 - The Plantagenet Series 1-3 by Jean Plaidy

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:10:00 +0000

Jean Plaidy is one of my favorite authors of historical fiction. The Plantagenet Series has 14 books. These are the first 3 books, spanning the time from Eleanor of Acquitane's marriage to the King of France through the death of Richard the Lionheart.

Plaidy takes history and makes it come alive by portraying her characters as the flawed people that they were. Larger than life historical figures like Eleanor of Acquitane and King Richard often are portrayed as larger than life, rather than as human beings. Plaidy doesn't hide their flaws....she relates their stories without prejudice.

I'm reading Book 4 right now which delves into the treachery of Prince John...it's another enjoyable read!!

# 95 - Pemberly by Emma Tennant

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:01:00 +0000

All I can really say about this continuation of Pride and Prejudice is that is was ok.

Tennant tries to stay true to Austen's characterizations, but the plot pretty much falls flat. The story starts a year after Elizabeth marries Fitzwilliam Darcy. Darcy is upset because they don't have a child yet, and the two families are still grousing over the marriage.

The plot just re-hashed the same problems from the original novel and seemed a bit like a forced sequel.

I've read several continuations of Pride and Prejudice and have yet to find one that I really like, and that seems to be a good re-visit to Austen's characters.

I think my conclusion is really leaning towards the fact that P&P really doesn't need a sequel, and that nobody can really write like Jane Austen.

Some stories just aren't meant to have a Part 2.

#94 - A Killer Stitch by Maggie Sefton

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:54:00 +0000

This is the 4th book in a series by Maggie Sefton. I enjoyed the first 3, and the 4th was no exception! It's definitely a light cozy mystery, but I love to knit so it's an enjoyable romp for me!

Kelly Flynn and the other citizens of Fort Conner, Co are preparing for Christmas when a local alpaca rancher is murdered. There's plenty of knitting thrown in with the sleuthing, plus a pattern and a couple recipes tossed in as well.

There are two more books in this series: Dyer Consequences (just published in June 2008), and Fleece Navidad (coming out in September 2008).

#93 - Will Storr versus the Supernatural by Will Storr

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:49:00 +0000

This is Will Storr's first book. I tried to enjoy it.....I really did. But I found his writing, and the stories in this book, to be....well.......boring.

Basically, Storr did research on ghost stories and legends, and approached his story telling from a neutral stance. But, the stories themselves just aren't really that interesting.

The cover art was great.....but the rest.....ho hum.

If you like ghost stories, then pass on this one. Just my opinion.....

#92 - Seaside Spectres (NC Haunted Hundred) by Daniel Barefoot

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:45:00 +0000

This book is a collection of ghost stories from the coast of North Carolina. I really enjoyed this book because it was neat to read legends and ghost stories from towns and places I recognize.

From civil war history to closer to present day, Daniel Barefoot does a great job of recounting ghostly tales from the coastal counties of NC.

The stories are nothing new, but it's an enjoyable afternoon light read.

#91 - Sex with Kings by Eleanor Herman

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:35:00 +0000

This book was such an enjoyable read! Herman romps through 500 years of royal mistresses, arranged marriages, illegitimate children, greed, lust, jealousy and ambition.

Many famous mistresses such as Madame du Pompadour and Nell Gwynn are listed by name, with information about how they become a royal mistress and how they kept (or didn't keep) their positions. She also talks about what was expected of a royal mistress, and how pride and ambition helped and hurt them.

Being the king's mistress definitely involved a lot of political power, and the lengths the women were willing to go to retain their position were really surprising.

If you're interested in royal history, scandals and "behind the scenes'' drama, this is definitely a fun read!

#83 - #90 - Temperance Brennan Series 1-8 by Kathy Reichs

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:19:00 +0000

Can you tell that I really like this series of books?? :)

Kathy Reichs is a forensic anthropologist who works in Charlotte NC and in Ontario Canada. And the main character in her book series (Temperance Brennan) does exactly the same thing! And yes, the television series Bones is an off-shoot of this book series.

I started reading Reichs' books after seeing the television show. But, the character on television and in the books are very different. They share the same name and are both forensic anthropologists, but they have very little else in common.

I like Reichs' writing style, and her plots are quite suspenseful. The science is definitely there as well since Reichs is definitely writing what she knows.

I enjoyed all of these first 8 books in the series. Grave Secrets was probably my least favorite since it had to do with investigating mass graves and genocide. It isn't that it wasn't well-written, it was just a tough subject to read about. Very graphic and disturbing!

There are 3 more books in this series: Break No Bones (9), Bones to Ashes (10) and coming out in August 2008 will be Devil's Bones (11).

This is definitely a great mystery/forensics/crime series!! If you like Bones, you will love this series!

#82 - Ghosts Among Us - by Leslie Rule

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:12:00 +0000

I've read several ghost story books by Leslie Rule, but I really didn't care for this one.

There was nothing new or different in it. Mostly it was about her visits to supposed haunted places around the country with "first hand account'' stories. Most were really just repackaged ghost stories that we have all heard before, with a bit of a travel channel feel thrown in for good measure.

I love ghost stories, and these just fell flat for me. There are some great black and white photographs in the book though.

Worth a read if you like ghost stories, but don't expect it to be anything new.

#81 - The Trouble With Magic by Madelyn Alt

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:04:00 +0000

This is the first book in a series by Madelyn Alt. The main character, Maggie O'Neill, takes a new job in an antique store, only to discover that her employer is involved in witchcraft.

Magical trouble ensues, of course! The book is an enjoyable mix of mystery and humor. On Maggie's first day of work, her boss Felicity becomes a suspect in the murder of her own sister. Because her shop sells witchcraft related items, everyone in town seems to believe Felicity is a murderer. It's up to Maggie to prove them all wrong!

This is such a fun, enjoyable series. If you need a book to read at the beach, or on a long car trip, this series would definitely be a good choice! Light and fun!

There are 3 other books in this series: A charmed Death, Hex Marks the Spot, and No Rest for the Wiccan.

#80 - The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 06:10:00 +0000

I just couldn't get into this book. To me, it seemed to forced and contrived. I felt like I was reading a book, rather than being immersed in the story.

I know it's listed on several "great books'' lists, but I personally didn't really care for it.

The story line is dark -- the main character is the daughter of a antique books dealer. She is invited to interview a famous author who is a mysterious recluse. Both women have to face their past and the truth about family secrets.

Setterfield's writing is very good. I just didn't really like the story. But lots and lots of other people have enjoyed this book. It's definitely worth a read so that you can form your own opinion.

#79 - Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu by Lee Goldberg

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 06:04:00 +0000

Yes, you can enjoy the OCD antics of Adrian Monk off the television screen. :) Now there are novels, too!

I really enjoy the Monk television series, and I enjoyed this book as well.

The body of a jogger is discovered in a dog park, missing her left shoe. Soon other murders occur.....is San Francisco dealing with a serial killer?? Add in the fact that the SFPD officers are out on strike, leaving Monk and a crew of mostly crazy former officers to investigate the case.

This was definitely a fun read, with all of the humor of the television show. :)

50 Book Challenge 2007: 59/50 -- Over My Goal!!

#78 - Undead and Unwed by Mary Janice Davidson

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 05:58:00 +0000

Talk about having a bad week. Betsy Taylor gets laid off from her job. She can't get a date. Her stepmother is a pain. And her cat hates her.

Then she gets run over by a car and dies.

The end, right?

Wrong.

Turns out, the group of thugs that mugged her a couple weeks before were....vampires. You guessed it.....Betsy Taylor is Undead and Unwed. Not only that -- she drags herself home from the funeral parlor to find her stepmother has taken all her designer shoes.

Just imagine the look on her Stepmother's face when Betsy shows up to get her shoes back.......

This is the first book in Davidson's Undead series. I loved this book! Humorous and fun, with a splash of the macabre. Very cool! Something fun and different!!

I will definitely be reading more of this series!

50 Book Challenge 2007: 58/50 -- Over My Goal!!

#77 - Bound for Murder by Laura Childs

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 05:51:00 +0000

The third book in Laura Child's Scrapbooking cozy series was just as enjoyable as the first two.

In this 3rd story, Carmela Bartrand is planning a big wedding party for a friend. Things go astray when the bridegroom is murdered. The bride asks Bertrand to solve the case, so once again she's sleuthing, at the risk of her own life.

Definitely another good book with that New Orleans feel to it. Her husband's family is still portrayed as the totally snobbish, rude wealthy sort. But in this book, Childs' main character finally starts standing up for herself, at least a little bit. I'm looking forward to reading the next book just to see if Carmela gets more bold.

If you like cozy mysteries, this series is definitely enjoyable.

50 Book Challenge 2007: 57/50 -- Over My Goal!!

#76 - Photo Finished by Laura Childs

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 05:44:00 +0000

This is the second book in Laura Childs Scrapbooking cozy series.

Carmela Bertrand is hosting a "Crop til you Drop'' all night scrapbooking session at her store in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The night is cut short when a nearby store owner is discovered dead in the alley behind Bertrand's shop. He's been stabbed by a scissors (kinda melodramatic isn't it??....lol.) Carmela has to act fast to find out who the killer is....could it be one of her own customers??

This book was an enjoyable read. It's nice to sip hot tea on a crisp fall evening and read a good cozy mystery. No gore. Nothing too scary. Just a murder with some sort of kitsch thrown in for good measure. :)

I still have a real problem with the way the main character lets her estranged husband's family walk all over her. It's like she has great strength for solving murder cases, but she doesn't have enough backbone to stand up to really mean people??? Doesn't make much sense to me...but other than that I'm enjoying this series.

50 Book Challenge 2007: 56/50 -- Over My Goal!!

#75 - Keepsake Crimes by Laura Childs

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 05:34:00 +0000

Carmela Bertrand owns a popular scrapbook shop in the French Quarter in New Orleans. Recently separated from her upper class husband, she moves into an apartment behind a tourist-trap voodoo shop and busies herself with running her shop. But, of course, her plans are interupted by a murder.

Laura Childs injects this story with a healthy dose of New Orleans spice -- mardi gras, the French quarter, southern hospitality, and southern-style murder.

I enjoyed this book for the most part. Some of the plot points seemed a bit over melodramatic though. For instance, Carmela is a very outspoken, independent woman....but she allows her husband's family to be completely over-the-top rude and nasty to her. At times, it seemed like one of those melodramas where you Boo and Hiss the bad guys and wait for them to tie the poor heroine to the train tracks. To me, someone of Carmela's personality would tell her estranged husband's family to shut their pie holes...lol.

50 Book Challenge 2007: 55/50 -- Over My Goal!!

#74 - Blueberry Muffin Murder by Joanne Fluke

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 05:27:00 +0000

This is the third book in Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swenson cozy murder mystery series.

As usual, the book is a fun cozy to read, and also includes several yummy recipes.

In this 3rd book, a rude and obnoxious cooking show host is murdered in Hannah's shop. One of Hannah's close friends is the number one suspect in the case, so Hannah jumps in to clear her friend's name.

This is an enjoyable cozy mystery, but I hope that something happens to enhance the character development in subsequent books in this series. Something exciting has to happen soon, or the books are going to start getting a little stale. Hannah needs to choose between her two love interests, or there needs to be some excitement/changes within the main characters of the stories, or the mystery and the cookie recipes just aren't going to carry along the sweetness of this series any longer. But, that's just my opinion....

50 Book Challenge 2007: 54/50 -- Over My Goal!!

#73 - Ghost of a Chance by Yasmine Galenorn

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 05:20:00 +0000

This is the first book in Yasmine Galenorn's Chintz n' China cozy series. The main character, Emerald O'Brien, owns a tea room where she serves up tea and tarot readings for her customers. She can communicate with the dead, and ends up being a Private Eye for the Dead.

In this first book, the ghost of an acquaintance shows up at her bedside in the middle of the night asking for help in solving her own murder.

For me, this book was a really cool twist on the cozy genre. I enjoyed the story. The supernatural aspects made it interesting.

I will definitely be reading other books in this series.

50 Book Challenge 2007: 53/50 -- Over My Goal!!

#72 - South Carolina Ghosts from the Coast to the Mountains by Nancy Roberts

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 05:15:00 +0000

This was another late night read that I really enjoyed. We live about 30 minutes from the SC border, so there were tales in this book from places I know. Kinda cool! :)

This collection by Roberts is a mix of ghost stories and historical lore. It was a light read, and very enjoyable. Nothing really unpredictable....pretty much variations on classic stories, but a fun read!

50 Book Challenge 2007: 52/50 -- Over My Goal!!

#71 - The Cold Cold Hand by James Burchill

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 05:05:00 +0000

Fall is the perfect season for reading Ghost stories! I curled up with this book on a cold October night with a cup of hot tea, and enjoyed some southern-style ghost stories. :)

The stories were really nothing new....but classic ghost tales never grow old, do they??

Definitely an enjoyable read for anyone who likes a scary ghostie yarn!

50 Book Challenge 2007: 51/50 -- Over My Goal!!

1001 Books to Read Before You Die -- 2008 Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Juli) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:55:00 +0000

I surpassed my goal to read 50 books this year by quite a few -- I still have multiple reviews to post before I know the exact total. I'm wayyy behind on posting! But I have until Dec 31st to finalize the 2007 list....still have some time to get it done.

For 2008, my goal is to read books from Dr. Peter Boxall's list "1001 Books to read before you die''. Here's a link to the list.

So far, from the list I've read a few:

93. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden (reviewed on this blog)
180. The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien
241. Contact by Carl Sagan
274. A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro
293. The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco
303. The World According to Garp - John Irving
312. The Shining - Stephen King
320. Interview with the Vampire - Anne Rice
379. The Godfather - Mario Puzo
408. In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
456. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
464. Henderson The Rain King - Saul Bellow
494. Lord of the Rings Triology - JRR Tolkein
496. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokav
508. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
520. Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison
521. The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemmingway
522. I, Robot - Isaac Asimov
547. Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell
564. Animal Farm - George Orwell
603. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
610. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkein
619. Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
695. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie
699. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
704. Billy Budd, Foretopman - Herman Melville
781. The Hound of the Baskervilles - Arther Conan Doyle
789. The Turn of the Screw - Henry James
790. War of the Worlds - HG Wells
791. The Invisible Man - HG Wells
794. Dracula - Bram Stoker
820. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson
821. The Mayor of Casterbridge - Thomas Hardy
825. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
829. The Death of Ivan Ilych - Leo Tolstoy
831. Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson
853. Middlemarch - George Eliot
863. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
890. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
895. The House of Seven Gables - Nathaniel Hawthorne
896. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
897. The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne
898. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
902. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
904. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
911. The Pit and the Pendulum - Edgar Allan Poe
913. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
916. The Fall of the House of Usher - Edgar Allan Poe
918. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
931. Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
933. Persuasion - Jane Austen
936. Emma - Jane Austen
937. Mansfield Park - Jane Austen
938. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
940. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
983. Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift
987. Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe
991. The Pilgrim's Progress - John Bunyan
992. Don Quixote - Miguel de Cervantes
1001. Aesop's Fables

And a few I have on my bookshelf waiting to be read:

19. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon
72. Cryptonomicon – Neal Stephenson
236. Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
667. All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque
767. The Jungle - Upton Sinclair
880. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
979. Pamela: Or Virtue Rewarded - Samuel Richardson