Reading Challenges for 2016

It occurred to me recently that I still need to make my reading more diverse. I want to add more writers who are people of color, LGBTQIA, and others who fall outside the literary "mainstream." There are so many other perspectives, so many other voices out there to hear.

Someone said once that every child deserves to see faces like her own in stories. That's not an exact quote, but it is essentially the sentiment, and I agree.


There are excellent authors with different world views out there, but one must make a concerted effort to find them, what ever the reason.

Literary erasure is not always deliberate, but literary championing must be.

                                                                                - Sarah Weinman

I love poetry and murder mysteries, and I will attempt this year to search out new authors with which to expand my reading list, and my world view.

I am just beginning but if any one else is interested I will park the sources I find here, and if you have any to share I would truly appreciate that as well.

* Writers of Color * Some Notable Writers of Color * Sister Sleuth *

* Your 25 Favorite Writers of Color * We Are Many, We Are Everywhere *
* SFGate * Diversity! Books for a Better Today * Good Reads *

So, my chosen Reading Challenges this year are basically the same ones as in years past, but I'm hoping to change the make up of my reading lists.

New Year’s Resolution Reading Challenge - Joy's Book Blog - Ends Jan 31, 2016

"What do you want to accomplish in the New Year? Will reading a book help you reach your goal, keep your resolution, or complete your project? Start the year off right by reading books that support your goals, resolutions, and projects.

Whether you want to write a memoir, wage a campaign, or wake up your creativity, there are books to aid you in your quest. The New Year’s Resolution Reading Challenge is to read one to four books that will stimulate action on your goals."

Here are the levels:

Resolved: 1 book * Determined: 2 books * Committed: 3 books * Passionate: 4 books

The books can all support the same resolution - or not.

My Goals: I have had to make some major changes in my life because of health issues. Trying to reinvent ones self and rebuild is not an easy thing to do, but this is my goal. I am at the Committed level with 3 books.

1. I need to have some source of income even though my job hunt has been, shall we say, less than fruitful. 
2. I need to be able to maximize my accomplishments when I am able to function. 
3. And I need to make peace with the situation. 

In some ways that makes this year much like last year, except this year I am more focused.

My List:

• The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living ... - Chris Guillebeau - I am in the process of setting up an Etsy business to bring in a few dollars with skills and abilities I still possess. This book seems to have a great deal of practical advice on starting a business from scratch and making it work. (COMPLETED)  

"Remember, this book isn't about founding a big Internet startup, and it isn't about opening a traditional business by putting on a suit and begging for money at a bank. Instead, It it's the account of people who found a way to live their dreams and make a good living from something they care deeply about." This is a book of practical advice filled with examples of people who stepped outside of convention with their ideas and succeeded. For those of us who lack the 'business gene,' it can be both inspiration and source material. As I prepare to go live with my business, I need all the encouragement I can get, and this book has been great.

• The Life Changing magic of Tidying Up - Marie Kondo - This book is basically a book on organization, but her focus is on your relationship with things and how changing that relationship can change your life. (I'll let you know how that works out.) (COMPLETED)  

My thoughts on this book are mixed. Ms Kondo has some good ideas on letting go of things, but she comes across as one who might need a bit of therapy to deal with her own relationship to things. Her methods of dealing with great swaths of sorting at a time are overwhelming for someone struggling with disability. Still, I found it encouraging.

• Wherever You Go, There You Are - Jon Kabat-Zinn - This was on my list for last year, but I never ended up reading it. I have seen reviews that lead me to believe it could be helpful to me in attaining my third goal - making peace with my lot. (COMPLETED) 

"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf." Is there such a thing as practical mindfulness? Well, if there is, this is the book to help you on your way. I don't know about you, but I need to be continually reminded to be aware and mindful. It is so easy to fall back into worrying, and thinking about what was or what will be, and forget about what is.

Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 2016 - Corinne Rodrigues - Jan 1, 2016 - Dec 31, 2016

"The goal is to outdo yourself by reading more in 2016 than you did in 2015.  ... Remember, the idea is to challenge yourself."

Levels:

Getting My Heart Rate Up: read 1–5 more books (or 250–1,499 more pages) * 

 Out of Breath: read 6–10 more books (or 1,500–2,749 more pages) * 

Breaking a Sweat: read 11–15 more books (or 2,750–3,999 more pages) *  

I’m on Fire!: read 16+ more books (or 4,000+ more pages)

My Goal is modest. I hope to Break a Sweat with a scant 11-15 more books this year.

My List: 

1. X - Sue Grafton
2. Taken (ebook) - Robert Crais
3. Speaking In Bones - Kathy Reichs
4. Wherever You Go, There You Are - Jon Kabat-Zinn
5. The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living ... - Chris Guillebeau
6. The Life Changing magic of Tidying Up - Marie Kondo 
7. The Long Fall (audiobook) - Walter Mosley 
8. Blood Oath: The President's Vampire (audiobook) - Christopher Farnsworth 
9. The President's Vampire - (audiobook) - Christopher Farnsworth 
10. Red, White, and Blood - (audiobook) - Christopher Farnsworth 
11. The Maltese Falcon (audiobook) - Dashiell Hammett 
12. What Color is My World? (ebook) - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 
13. Breakdown - Jonathan Kellerman  
14. Revival - (audiobook) - Stephen King 
15. The Drowning Man (audiobook) - Margaret Coel 
16. Known To Evil (audiobook) - Walter Mosley 
17. Sometimes I Wonder About You (audiobook) - Walter Mosley 
18. The Long Walk (audiobook) - Stephen King 
19. Go Set A Watchman (audiobook) - Harper Lee 
20. Joyland (audiobook) - Stephen King 
21. Rumpole of the Bailey (audiobook) - John Mortimer 
22. The Wind Through the Keyhole (audiobook) - Stephen King 
23. Mycroft Holmes (ebook) - Kareem Abdul - Jabbar  
24. Double Homicide - Jonathan & Faye Kellerman 
25. Capital Crimes - Jonathan & Faye Kellerman 
26. The Murderer's Daughter - Jonathan Kellerman 
27. 11/22/63 - Stephen King 
28. Driving Heat - Richard Castle 
29. An Unsuitable Job For A Woman (audiobook) - P. D. James 
30. The Talisman (audiobook) - Stephen King & Peter Straub 
31. The Library Policeman (audiobook) - Stephen King 
32. Face Off (audiobook) - Ed. David Baldacci 
33. True Detectives (audiobook) - Jonathan Kellerman 
34. The Mystery Box (audiobook) - Mystery Writers of America, Ed. Brad Meltzer 
35. Malice Domestic vol. 6 (audiobook) - Ed. Anne Perry 
36. On Writing (audiobook) - Stephen King 
37. The Colorado Kid (audiobook)- Stephen King 
38. Mr. Mercedes (audiobook) - Stephen King 
39. Doctor Sleep - Stephen King

2016 I Love Libraries Reading Challenge - Bea's Book Nook - Jan 1, 2016 - Dec 31, 2016

"I Love Libraries was formerly hosted by Book Dragon's Lair. She's cutting back her challenge hosting for 2016 and passed the baton to me. This challenge is one of several library challenges I've done since started my blog so I'm delighted to be hosting.

It's no secret that I love my library and it's been a tremendous resource for me over the years, and not just for books. For this challenge, use your library to check out reading material - books, magazines, any sort of reading material that you are allowed to check out, physical or digital."

Levels:

board book - 3 * picture book - 6 * early reader - 9 * chapter book - 12 * middle grades - 18 *  

Young adult - 24 * adult - 36 * just insert IV - 50

This has been an easy goal for me in the past because most of the books I read throughout the year come from the library. I believe wholeheartedly in supporting libraries, because they are an important source of support for communities in spite of insufficient budgets.  Therefore I expect to Just Insert the IV, and make it to at least 50 books.

My List: 

1. X - Sue Grafton
2. Taken (ebook) - Robert Crais
3. Speaking In Bones - Kathy Reichs 
4. The Long Fall (audiobook) - Walter Mosley 
5. Blood Oath: The President's Vampire (audiobook) - Christopher Farnsworth 
6. The President's Vampire - (audiobook) - Christopher Farnsworth 
7. Red, White, and Blood - (audiobook) - Christopher Farnsworth 
8. The Maltese Falcon (audiobook) - Dashiell Hammett 
9. What Color is My World? (ebook) - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 
10. Revival - (audiobook) - Stephen King 
11. The Drowning Man (audiobook) - Margaret Coel 
12. Known To Evil (audiobook) - Walter Mosley 
13. Sometimes I Wonder About You (audiobook) - Walter Mosley 
14. The Long Walk (audiobook) - Stephen King 
15. Go Set A Watchman (audiobook) - Harper Lee 
16. Joyland (audiobook) - Stephen King 
17. Rumpole of the Bailey (audiobook) - John Mortimer 
18. The Wind Through the Keyhole (audiobook) - Stephen King 
19. Mycroft Holmes (ebook) - Kareem Abdul - Jabbar  
20. Double Homicide - Jonathan & Faye Kellerman 
21. Capital Crimes - Jonathan & Faye Kellerman 
22. An Unsuitable Job For A Woman (audiobook) - P. D. James 
23. The Talisman (audiobook) - Stephen King & Peter Straub 
24. The Library Policeman (audiobook) - Stephen King 
25. Face Off (audiobook) - Ed. David Baldacci 
26. True Detectives (audiobook) - Jonathan Kellerman 
27. The Mystery Box (audiobook) - Mystery Writers of America, Ed. Brad Meltzer 
28. Malice Domestic vol. 6 (audiobook) - Ed. Anne Perry 
29. On Writing (audiobook) - Stephen King 
30. The Colorado Kid (audiobook)- Stephen King 
31. Mr. Mercedes (audiobook) - Stephen King

  
2016 Audiobook Challenge - Hot Listens - Jan 1, 2016 - Dec 31, 2016

"The goal is to find a new love for audios or to outdo yourself by listening to more audios in 2016 than you did in 2015."

Levels:

Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5 * Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10 * Stenographer (can listen while multi-tasking) 10-15 * Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20 * Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30 * My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+ * Marathoner (Look Ma No Hands) 50+

I always hated having to chose between sewing or gardening and reading. Now I don't have to! I am aiming for Socially Awkward with 15-20 audio books.

My List:   

1. X - Sue Grafton 
2. The Long Fall (audiobook) - Walter Mosley 
3. Blood Oath: The President's Vampire (audiobook) - Christopher Farnsworth 
4. The President's Vampire - (audiobook) - Christopher Farnsworth 
5. Red, White, and Blood - (audiobook) - Christopher Farnsworth 
6. The Maltese Falcon (audiobook) - Dashiell Hammett 
7. Revival - (audiobook) - Stephen King 
8. The Drowning Man (audiobook) - Margaret Coel 
9. Known To Evil (audiobook) - Walter Mosley 
10. Sometimes I Wonder About You (audiobook) - Walter Mosley 
11. The Long Walk (audiobook) - Stephen King 
12. Go Set A Watchman (audiobook) - Harper Lee 
13. Joyland (audiobook) - Stephen King 
14. Rumpole of the Bailey (audiobook) - John Mortimer 
15. The Wind Through the Keyhole (audiobook) - Stephen King 
16. Mycroft Holmes (ebook) - Kareem Abdul - Jabbar 
17. An Unsuitable Job For A Woman (audiobook) - P. D. James 
18. The Talisman (audiobook) - Stephen King & Peter Straub 
19. The Library Policeman (audiobook) - Stephen King 
20. Face Off (audiobook) - Ed. David Baldacci 
21. True Detectives (audiobook) - Jonathan Kellerman 
22. The Mystery Box (audiobook) - Mystery Writers of America, Ed. Brad Meltzer 
23. Malice Domestic vol. 6 (audiobook) - Ed. Anne Perry 
24. On Writing (audiobook) - Stephen King 
25. The Colorado Kid (audiobook)- Stephen King 
26. Mr. Mercedes (audiobook) - Stephen King

The Women Challenge! - Peek a Book - Jan 1,2016 - Dec 31, 2016

"This challenge will make us want to read more books of any kind written by women, so choose whatever you like and get involved!

Set your level and, if you like, leave me a comment on this post listing your three favourite women writers, in order to suggest new names to other participants as well.

Here are mine (they are just the first ones coming to my mind): Anne Brontë * Joan Didion * Christa Wolf"

Levels:

Level 1: BABY GIRL - read 5 books written by a woman author

Level 2: GIRLS POWER - read 6 to 15 books written by a woman author

Level 3: SUPER GIRL - read 16 to 20 books written by a woman author

Level 4: WONDER WOMAN - read 20+ books written by a woman author

I started seeking out more female authors several years ago and I have not been sorry. I believe that I can make the level of Wonder Woman with at least 20 books written by women.

My Goals:

1. X - Sue Grafton
2. Speaking In Bones - Kathy Reichs
3. The Life Changing magic of Tidying Up - Marie Kondo 
4. The Drowning Man (audiobook) - Margaret Coel 
5. Go Set A Watchman (audiobook) - Harper Lee 
6. Double Homicide - Jonathan & Faye Kellerman 
7. Capital Crimes - Jonathan & Faye Kellerman 
8. An Unsuitable Job For A Woman (audiobook) - P. D. James 
9. Face Off (audiobook) - Ed. David Baldacci 
10. True Detectives (audiobook) - Jonathan Kellerman 
11. The Mystery Box (audiobook) - Mystery Writers of America, Ed. Brad Meltzer 
12. Malice Domestic vol. 6 (audiobook) - Ed. Anne Perry 

Banned Books Challenge 2016 - Buckling Bookshelves - Jan 1, 2016 - Dec 15, 2016

"The idea is to read some books this year that people have tried to keep off the shelves. Here in the US, we are fortunate that the government does not legally ban books, but that has not stopped the challenges to school and library materials. (Bear in mind, I am not advocating for any sort of illegal activity here -- read at your own risk!)"

Below are the levels you can choose from:

Making Waves: 1-2 Challenged Books * Trouble-Maker: 3-5 Challenged Books * Rabble-Rouser: 6-9 Challenged Books * Rebel: 10-14 Challenged Books * Leader of a Revolution: 15+ Challenged Books

This is an instance where I need to seek out and pay closer attention to the books that are being challenged and the outcomes of those cases. I'll set my goal at a modest Trouble-Maker level and hope to surpass it.

My Goals:

1.
2.

2016 Cloak and Dagger Challenge - Books, Movies, Reviews, Oh My! & Booker T's Farm - Jan 1, 2016 - Dec 31, 2016

"I’m a mystery and crime novel fan so I wanted to do a challenge that incorporated all the different types of mystery and crime type novels."

Levels:

1-10 books – Amateur sleuth * 11-20 books – Detective * 

21-30 books – Inspector * 31+ books – Special agent

Since murder mysteries are my drug of choice I expect to ace this challenge at the Special Agent level.

My List:

1. X - Sue Grafton
2. Taken (ebook) - Robert Crais
3. Speaking In Bones - Kathy Reichs 
4. The Long Fall (audiobook) - Walter Mosley 
5. Blood Oath: The President's Vampire (audiobook) - Christopher Farnsworth 
6. The President's Vampire - (audiobook) - Christopher Farnsworth 
7. Red, White, and Blood - (audiobook) - Christopher Farnsworth 
8. The Maltese Falcon (audiobook) - Dashiell Hammett 
9. Breakdown - Jonathan Kellerman  
10. The Drowning Man (audiobook) - Margaret Coel 
11. Known To Evil (audiobook) - Walter Mosley 
12. Sometimes I Wonder About You (audiobook) - Walter Mosley 
13. Joyland (audiobook) - Stephen King 
14. Rumpole of the Bailey (audiobook) - John Mortimer 
15. Mycroft Holmes (ebook) - Kareem Abdul - Jabbar  
16. Double Homicide - Jonathan & Faye Kellerman 
17. Capital Crimes - Jonathan & Faye Kellerman 
18. The Murderer's Daughter - Jonathan Kellerman 
19. Driving Heat - Richard Castle 
20. An Unsuitable Job For A Woman (audiobook) - P. D. James 
21. Face Off (audiobook) - Ed. David Baldacci 
22. True Detectives (audiobook) - Jonathan Kellerman 
23. The Mystery Box (audiobook) - Mystery Writers of America, Ed. Brad Meltzer 
24. Malice Domestic vol. 6 (audiobook) - Ed. Anne Perry

Mental Illness Advocacy (MIA) Reading Challenge - Opinions of a Wolf - Jan 1, 2016 - Dec 31, 2016
 
"I started the Mental Illness Advocacy (MIA) Reading Challenge in December 2010 in an effort to raise awareness, knowledge, and acceptance of mental illness.  Reading, both fiction and nonfiction, is an excellent way to broaden one’s horizons and expose one to new ideas and ways of thinking and being.  ...  In spite of mental illnesses being recognized by the scientific community as diseases just like physical ones, many still think those suffering from one are at fault for their own suffering.  ...  They already have to struggle with an illness; they shouldn’t have to face a stigma too.

Any book, fiction or nonfiction, that is either about mental illness or features characters or real people with a mental illness counts for the challenge.  However, the book must not demonize people with mental illnesses."

Challenge Levels:

Acquainted–4 books * Aware–8 books * Advocate–12 books

I plan to set a modest goal of 4 books at the Acquainted level.

My List: 

1. Breakdown - Jonathan Kellerman
   

PERPETUAL READING CHALLENGES:

Kinsey Millhone Reading Challenge (hosted by: Darlene's Book Nook)

Begun in 2012 {My Link}

The Stephen King Challenge: A Perpetual Reading Challenge (hosted by: Michelle & Kate)

Begun in 2014 {My Link}

The Nero Wolfe Not-so-Mini Challenge (hosted by: Becky's Book Reviews)

Begun in 2014 {My Link}

Looking for a challenge of your own?
Try:

{A Novel Challenge}

2015 Reading Chalenges - Final Post

{Here} is my 2015 Reading Challenge post, updated with my final notes for the year.

This year saw mixed results. In some challenges I was extremely successful, in others . . . not so much.

There were many life issues that contributed to an over all struggle to maintain many of my responsibilities (including this Blog) this year.

I confess to many daydreams about winning lottery tickets and helpful good Samaritans along the way, mostly at times of stress and frustration.

Reading, as always, provided me with temporary respite. It helps to escape, even momentarily, to other worlds, other lives, and then come back to my own just a little bit revitalized.

I hope you all had a good 2015, and that 2016 surpasses your every dream.

(This is what walls were made for.)

Quote of the Day

We fear things in proportion to our ignorance of them.

                                                                                                      - Christian Nestell Bove

BOOK REVIEWS. Sort Of.

A note about BOOK REVIEWS. Sort Of.:

These are not, in any way, meant to be comprehensive reviews. They are intended to acknowledge that I have read the book, and give my honest core impressions.

If a real review is what you wish, there are many wonderful book blogs available, and I have provided some tools to find them under the tab marked "Useful Stuff."

~ AUDIOBOOKS ~

The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ (audiobook) - Philip Pullman

"In writing about what has gone past, we help to shape what is to come. There are dark days approaching, turbulent times. If the way to the kingdom of God is to be opened, we who know must be prepared to make history the handmaid of posterity, and not its governor. What should have been is a better servant than what was."

This novel is a part of the Cannongate Myth series, which seeks to reimagine establish myths from a modern perspective. The quote above could easily be both the tale behind this book's narrative and the original story it aims to reimagine.

One For the Money (audiobook) - Janet Evanovich

This is the first Novel in a series. I think I will have to read at least one more before I make a final decision on the series.

Stephanie Plum is an inept bounty hunter who has backed into her profession because of unemployment and desperation. In the end she got her man, but I'm hoping she'll get better at her job.

But hey, what ever happens, I enjoyed Lori Petty as the narrator!

Life's Missing Instruction Manual (audiobook) - Joe Vitale

I'm not usually usually drawn to self-help books, but the title of this one intrigued me.

*Sigh*

Although this book contained many helpful and uplifting quotes, they were then expanded upon in a way that was often simplistic and victim blaming.

Victim blaming makes me too angry to benefit from the nuggets of light.

Deja Dead (audiobook) - Kathy Reichs

This is the first of Ms Reichs' Temperance Brennan novels, and, wow, it contains a completely different characterization than the the TV show Bones. It's actually like reading a different series altogether.

I've just found a new series to munch on. Good pacing, believable plot, interesting & likable characters,  . . .

What more could you want?

An Appointment With Death (audiobook) - Agatha Christie

Occasionally I am pleasantly surprised to find that instead of simple narration, the audio book I'm beginning is actually a dramatization. This was one of those surprises.

The second surprise was exactly how much of the original story had been changed when PBS created its Hercule Poirot dramatization.

Both were good, but only tangentially the same story.

Does that count as two stories?

The Eagle Catcher (audiobook) - Margaret Coel

It isn't possible to write a believable story about Native Americans without the history of their victimization and the long term consequences being, at least tangentially, a part of the fabric of that story.

The plot of this novel was particularly salient, considering the American government recently gave away sacred tribal lands to a foreign government for drilling.

The plotting and solid writing in this novel made it worth the ride.

The Ghost Walker (audiobook) - Margaret Coel

How can a dead body just disappear? It's easier than you might think.

And Father O'malley fights to keep the entire Mission from disappearing.

The Hanging in the Hotel (audiobook) - Simon Brett

Have you ever been frustrated and irritated by the ending of a novel you read?

I can't tell you why I hated the ending without giving too much in the way of spoilers, but I hated it enough to abandon a series that I already considered marginal.

* Sigh *




The Dream Stalker (audiobook) - Margaret Coel

Is nuclear waste storage ever without mishap?

The Spirit Woman (audiobook) - Margaret Coel

The overarching theme in this novel is hard to miss: dysfunctional relationships and their repercussions.

Change is never easy, but it is inevitable.

The Thunder Keeper (audiobook) - Margaret Coel

I never thought of thunder as protective before, but I like the idea. It feels right.

Even in separate cities, Priest and Lawyer are drawn to the same cases.

The Shadow Dancer (audiobook) - Margaret Coel

Sometimes the past and present overlap, and the resulting image feeling just a little out of focus, off balance.

Killing Raven (audiobook) - Margaret Coel

New opportunities come with risks.

Wife of Moon (audiobook) - Margaret Coel

Sometimes the fight for justice leaves a bill too high to pay.

The Girl With the Braided Hair (audiobook) - Margaret Coel

The past is never really far away, and it doesn't take much to set it marauding through the present.
 

The Story Teller (audiobook) - Margaret Coel

Just because a story is old, doesn't mean it is untrue.

The Lost Bird (audiobook) - Margaret Coel

One of my biggest pet peeves in this life is people who insist that the past is behind us and we should just get over what ever it is that continues to cause us distress.

The Eye of the Wolf (audiobook) - Margaret Coel

As I read this one I was repeatedly reminded of the rush to judgement that exists in today's society.

The Clockwork Scarab (audiobook) - Colleen Gleason

I picked this novel up out of curiosity. It was staring the niece of Sherlock Holmes, after all.

It is my first steampunk novel and I found that rather cute. As certain contraptions were described I couldn't help but be reminded of Stephen King's The Tommyknockers, where simple things were rendered incredibly cumbersome by the use of batteries.

It had a lot of instances where the heroines, Mina Holmes and Evaline Stoker (Bram's sister), were rendered close to a swoon by the proximity of a male - not my cup of tea.

I haven't decided yet whether I will continue with the series.

Death du Jour (audiobook) - Kathy Reichs

Connections.

It pays to be mindful of connections.

Break No Bones (audiobook) - Kathy Reichs

Change is hard. Endings are hard.

Cross Bones (audiobook) - Kathy Reichs

"The Torah, the Bible, the Koran. Each offers a recipe for spiritual contentment, for hope, for love, and for controlling basic human passions, and each claims to have gotten the recipe straight from God, but via a different messenger. They're all just trying to provide a formula for orderly, spiritual living, but somehow the message gets twisted, like cells in a body turning cancerous. Self-appointed spokesmen declare the boundaries of correct belief, outsiders are labled heretics, and the faithful are called upon to attack them. I don't think it was meant to be this way."

Good fiction, while offering us brief respite from the chaos of the world around us, cannot join us in turning our backs on that world. Instead, it gives us a lens through which we might better understand that world.

Bones To Ashes (audiobook) - Kathy Reichs

This time it's extremely personal for Doctor Brennan.

Bare Bones (audiobook) - Kathy Reichs

"Things are not always what they seem."

This quote sums up all the various plots and subplots in the novel.




On the Move (audiobook) - Oliver Sacks

Two for the Dough (audiobook) - Janet Exanovich

Wolves of the Calla (audiobook) - Stephen King

The battle with the wolves is over. I'm bruised and bloodied, but I survived.

The quest remains . . .

Oh. Wait! I only read the book.

No one ever just 'reads' the Dark Tower books.

On the Move (audiobook) - Oliver Sacks

I've read, and been enthralled by, nearly all of Dr. Sacks' books, but I never new anything about his life until now. He was a special person.

Time to do some rereading . . .

Two For the Dough (audiobook) - Janet Evanovich

Lori Petty's quirky voice as narrator certainly matches well with the voice that the author gives her main character.

This series falls between the hard core mysteries I love and the 'cozy mysteries' that help fill the void while my favorite authors are putzing around between publishings.

Song of Susanna (audiobook) - Stephen King

Twist I didn't see coming . . . No spoilers.

Needless to say, my interest has been reignighted and I'm looking forward to the last book in the series.

The Dark Tower: The Dark Tower VII (audiobook) - Stephen King

A lot of people didn't like the ending of the series, but it was really in keeping with the philosophy espoused throughout the books.

Remember . . . Ka is a wheel.

The last two books rekindled my enjoyment of the series (that I thought I lost somewhere on the beach with the lobstrosities).

~ EBOOKS ~

The Twits (ebook) - Roald Dahl

Don't you just love books by authors who know how kids really think?

There is never any saccharine in a Roald Dahl book.

Devil Bones (ebook) - Kathy Reichs

We have a tendency to take things, and people, at face value, a dangerous habit.

Depraved Heart (ebook) - Patricia Cornwell

A seemingly invulnerable nemesis, undependable records, and family in peril make up the usual Cornwell plot arc.

Well written, if predictable.

The Crossing (ebook) - Michael Connelly

Yay! Harry Bosch is back, and bringing all his experience and expertise to bear even though he's out of the department - for the defense.

I'm still coming to grips with Bosch's steadfast defense of the department, even when he has experienced first hand the depth of corruption and malfeasance that it harbors.

It's strange to hear him referring to the defense side as evil, even as he watches the cruel damage the other side is heaping on the innocent.

The "department, right or wrong" thinking is something we are seeing in the real world today, and it's ugly.

The Promise (ebook) - Robert Crais

As always, Elvis & Joe deliver.

If I ever needed it, I would feel secure having them at my back.

One bright spot this time was Maggie, and Mr Crais did a wonderfully intuitive job of showing the experiences of a bomb/drug sniffing dog through her own eyes. My Petunia was captivated.

Brush Back (ebook) - Sara Paretsky

"No," I said, "when you're struggling to survive, no one gets to label you a coward, not even yourself in your private thoughts."

As I read this novel I was reminded of two things. First, V. I. was one of the first strong, independent, intelligent woman detectives. And second, she's only gotten better with age.

(Even if she doesn't bounce back quite a fast as she used to.)

Bones In Her Pocket (ebook) - Kathy Reichs

This short story includes pleas for an end to puppy mills. In her notes after the story Ms Reichs includes many way we can all help.

The story itself, though short, was intriguing and held my attention.

Swamp Bones (ebook) - Kathy Reichs

Don't you just hate it when you end up working through your vacation because no one else can do the job as well as you?

Yeah. Me neither.

But I have to admit, Dr. Brennan does good work.

Bones On Ice (ebook) - Kathy Reichs

An interesting addition to the novella is an appeal for Nepali relief, specifically Nepali Sherpas and guides. She included links to several nonprofits, if you are inclined to help.

The story itself, because of the length, is necessarily more simple than her novels, but still entertaining.

~ REINCARNATED TREES ~

Murder At the Monk's Table - Sister Carol Anne O'Marie

"He was set on being a detective inspector. As a lad he had watched hundreds of hours of detectives on the telly - Inspector Morse and that nice chap, Inspector Barnaby from Midsummer. Although they did seem to have an excessive amount of murders in Oxford and that little village, but that was England for you."

This is the last book in the Sister Mary Helen series. Sister died just a few years later of Parkinson's disease. They probably fit snugly into the 'cozy mysteries' category, but the writing was solid enough to feel like more than that, and I'm sorry I've come to the end of the series.

"May the Lord keep you in His hand

And never close His fist too tight."

- Irish blessing

I'll close this entry with two more quotes from the book, a blessing (above) and a piece of advice.

"There's so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us,

 that it little behooves any of us to talk about the rest of us."

Brain On Fire - Susannah Cahalan

This was an interesting memoir.

Left with little to no memory of the most harrowing experience of her life, Ms Cahalan was forced to piece it together through the memories of those around her.

It also documents the costs of misdiagnosis and goes well beyond her own story.

Her hope is that by taking her tale public she might help others.

Deadly Decisions - Kathy Reichs

Decisions we make continue to have ramifications, even decades later, and often in unexpected and regrettable ways.

Fatal Voyage - Kathy Reichs

Sometimes our actions set in to motion other actions, and the end result is far from anything we could have predicted.

Grave Secrets - Kathy Reichs

Let me just say that pathologists and forensic anthropologists do an incredibly important job. And for those who repeatedly uncover the worst humanity has to offer, it must take a tremendous toll over time.

Monday Mourning - Kathy Reichs

"The beatings will continue until morale improves."

She's quoting a bumper sticker she sees while in near gridlock, but I'm beginning to think that this should be the motto on our money. What about you?

(Oh. The book was good, as usual.)

206 Bones - Kathy Reichs

"In 1993, in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the Supreme Court ruled that a 'trial judge must ensure that any and all scientific testimony or evidence admitted is not only relevant, but reliable.'"

"Like the vast majority of my colleagues, I have sworn to a code of chivalry. The pledge: To protect the innocent from wrongful conviction; to help convict the guilty."

I am enjoying the Temperance Brennan series tremendously, and this entry did not disappoint.

Dr. Brennan does seem to take full advantage of her health insurance. I'm sure she's grateful for Canada's 'universal' system.

Spider Bones - Kathy Reichs

I needed a score card to keep track of who was who this time.

But it was worth the effort.

Flash and Bones - Kathy Reichs

Being a long time murder mystery junkie, I'm pretty good at teasing out at least the bare bones of the solution while reading a novel, but not this time.

I like when that happens. Well done, Ms Reichs.

Bones Are Forever - Kathy Reichs

I find myself worried that, because of all the concussions she has suffered, Dr. Brennan might end up with the same type of brain damage that so many NFL players are fighting.

This was another good read and I am sorry that I'll soon be caught up with the author and have to wait a year between novels.

Bones of the lost - Kathy Reichs

I have enjoyed this series immensely, and am sorry that I will soon be finished and have to wait a year between new novels.

If you could spare a few good thoughts for our intrepid Detective Andrew Ryan. He's been having a rough time of it for a while now.

Bones Never Lie - Kathy Reichs

Psychopathy: nature or nurture?

Dr. Brennan is drawn into a spate of child murders that bring back an old case.

I confess, I had a good idea about who the murderer was. But it was instinct on my part.