Pure Titan-ium

I was a bit down on poor Rick Riordan and the dauntless Percy Jackson when I posted on The Sea of Monsters, and I'm fairly certain that its very poor etiquette to speak of a new book while bloging about another. The Titan's Curse pulled me back in somewhat, mainly because the characters were interesting and the pace made much more sense. I can't help but confirm that the Harry Potter conundrum has resurfaced however. Annabeth has disappeared in this tome, and you will recall that Grover was missing in the last one. Remind you at all of how Hermione and Ron both had their moments of solo glory in Harry Potter. I thought so. On the bright side it does bring the scintillating possibility of Percy and Annabeth engaging in some Olympian lovin' if she declines the invitation to the immortal lesbian hangout that is the Hunters of Artemis.

Riordan does a deft job of bringing in at least half a dozen story-lines in this book which while still unclear will certainly have a huge impact on what is to come in the future of Camp half-Blood. Straying from the familiar pattern to weave in new elements is always risky, however he has the talent as a writer to tackle it. The Titan's Curse is also much darker, forcing the issue of death, especially the death of the young into focus. Its well handled, and his deference to the importance of loyalty, even after death makes a nice moral grandstand.

The humor is always enjoyable in Riordan's writing, and he take multiple opportunities to bring new major gods and goddesses into the ray, always with a humorous flair. The approach of the final showdown between Percy and his comrades with Luke and Kronos weigh heavily at the book's conclusion, however the narrative arc give a satisfying conclusion for now. On the downside a few elements do leave the reader unsatisfied, even slightly confused. THe biggest disappointment character-wise was the introduction of Dr. Chase, Annabeth's father who is oft mentioned, but is seriously flat and goofy as a character when he actually shows up. Bianca has the makings of a good character, however her brief journey through may also leave you feeling short changed. Finally, the title. Now I know author's seldom have a say in what the title is, and more often are unsatisfied. However they usually make sense, even if they aren't very good. I actually had to sit and think about what the title really meant at one point. It is mentioned (I went back and looked) but its so brief, and so tangled up in the fray at the books epic conclusion, you'll probably miss it. Hint: What did Chicken Little say?

Tower of Power

I was excited to move on to the next book in this series, and I have to say I enjoyed it better than the first. The pacing was better, the mystery well developed and interesting, and the characters evolved in a way that made you really relate to them. The one element that was lost from the first book was that fascinating element of our heroine Mary Quinn's Cantonese ancestry. 

The premise of the story, that Mary is going undercover as a twelve year old boy, Mark, is as old as the hills. However it remain irresistible, at least to me. I love a good cross-dressing story, from Yentyl on up. THe reversal of gender roles between Mary and her on-and-off beau James Easton also definitely turned the tales. James just returned from India has contracted malaria and is now weak and has to rely on Mary, a weak defenseless female. THe love story is satisfying without taking over the crux of the story. In a way its almost disappointing that Y. S. Lee has only planned on writing a trilogy because I feel like The Agency could have a longevity that keeps it fresh and interesting .

Bloody Short

Novellas are an anomily in the world of literature, they just don't seem to fit anywhere. To be honest I think it might be generous to call the laterst Blue Bloods "book" (as the author terms it) from Melissa de la Cruz even a novella. I've read longer short stories. The Blue Bloods series is strange (and not just because of the vampires) because I always really enjoy reading the stories while I'm reading them and then once I finish I can't really remember what they're about. They're fluff, but usually fluff doesn't slide away so quickly. Regardless this particular novella was straightforward enough that anyone with even a passing knowledge of the series and its characters.

The first vignette featuring the long suffering Oliver, best friend and long unrequited lover of the series heroine Schuyler is a little random. I felt a bit cheated because it was clearly a thinly veiled promotion for her new series coming out next summer The Witches of East End. Secondly after suffering through Oliver's angst for half  a dozen books now it was more than a tad unbelievable that he would be cured of his tortured affliction with magic scrambled eggs and sex with a witch. Just Saying.

The second story deals with the mysterious Allegra, Schuyler's archangel mother recently risen from her self imposed coma. There are a lot of unanswered questions in the series about her and her relationship with Schuyler's father. THis story actually raises more questions than it answers, sure we see a young, stereotypical love story emerge. We see that Allegra's twin/soulmate Charles is a creepy weirdo, and a premonition is thrown in for good measure but overall I'm not really sure what the point of this one was.

THe third of the stories was clearly the one fans were waiting for, the illicit bonding of our Blue Bloods Romeo and Juliet. It was sappy, far fetched, and over the top, precisely what you would expect. It certainly cemented that this was much more about the love than the fangs. The results of this no-no bonding (see: eternal wedding) will be much more interesting. I guess I'll have to wait for the next books and hope at least a few heads roll.

A Ring-A Ding-Ding, London Calling

I read Tangerine, Edward Bloor's breakout, award-winning novel when I was in middle school, right after it came out in 1999. It was the librarian's selection for our middle school book club ( we had also read the young Harry Potter in book club, just before it became huge). It wasn't a book I would have picked up on my own and after twelve years I still remember it as being surreal, like a story set in a Salvador Dali painting. It was a good book but in my memory I can't keep the weirdness straight.

I haven't checked in with Bloor since, though a quick database search  on my local library website shows he has published four or five books since Tangerine. I was browsing the YA section of the Pawtucket library, and grabbed this book both based on the clever cover and the author's name before being pulled into an excruciating conversation about graphic novels with the YA librarian. I'm sorry, I appreciate the effort and time people put into them, but as far as I'm concerned, they're still comic books, which I have zero interest in reading.

That being said it was a phenomenal choice, by far the best book I've read this year. Unfortunately I somehow forgot to post on it when I read it, so it's posted slightly out of reading order if you look at the list. Its a time travel story, however time travel is rare in the narrative. The focus is on  the journey that the main character Martin takes. His discovery of what really matters to him in life, his journey towards fulfilling his own spirituality, and his acceptance of the order of things, including the reality of his own family. His story is one of the most real views of family I've ever seen, in YA or adult fiction. Some might argue that it is too adult a portrayal for a YA novel, and the whole story is very adult in both its plot an themes.

Death is a prominent feature, some of it very violent. The repercussions of this, both in this world and the next are also called into question. I like the message of the story, that there is moral gray areas in life, however at the end all humans have to answer one question, what did you do to help? In its ideology it reminded me a lot of Agnes of God, where a lot of questions are asked, but many left unanswered. This is a criticism of a lot of reviewers, but unfortunately I can't count that among the faults. Spirituality is a messy business, which Martin admits, however he like all of us does his best. Its basic Catholicness appeals to me, the idea of doing your first nine Fridays, not because you necessarily believe it will help, but because it comforts you. Saying a prayer for someone's immortal soul, because after death its the only way to continue to show your love. London Calling isn't a happy story, then again any story can be happy. Its a real story about ordinary people living their lives, whether now or in the past. The time travel is just a vehicle to show us that. 

An Affair to Remember

I confess, I library book stalked this book. It came out yesterday, and I had already put a hold on it, so as soon as the library processed, I got a call for it. Then I read it, and no you don't have to point it out that I have no life. I know. I embrace it in fact. I have an undying devotion to Lauren Willig, she could write children's books about talking vegetables and I would still read them. I confess however that I was not particularly psyched about this one, before it came out at least. 

I can't exactly pinpoint why, but I did have the same doubts about The Mischief of the Mistletoe, the Christmas novel I read last month. In the end I loved it, laughed like silly and it put me in an appropriate holiday mood. That being said the past 2 novels in the series, The Temptation of the Night Jasmine and The Betrayal of the Blood Lily were less appealing to me than the start of the series, which may have a lot to do with this. The core players in the story, the ones that readers came to love, fell by the wayside for a large part. Some of this had to do with setting (Blood Lily took place in India) and the fact that the characters were not part of the original network of spies that the first few books centered around. The Mischief of the Mistletoe and now The Orchid Affair have returned to the fold so to speak, and I think are better for it. 

We see the famed Selwick Spy school in action, something Willig has hinted at through the previous seven books, but which we only see in action now. We also return to France, setting for the first book. Thirdly it is  strictly spy story, rather than the past three books which have been more parodies of spy novels where our unsuspecting heros and heroines stumble across clues and get sucked in. Laura Griscogne, the heroine is a trained spy in the guise of a governess, a pairing of a classic nineteenth century novel plot with a new twist. There is also an excellent double blind involving our hero Andre Jaouen. Do you like gypsies? Of course you do, and you're in luck because we also get to hitch a ride with a wandering acting troop. The romance is more of a slow simmer than a towering inferno, Willig has definitely gotten more timid as her writing matures. While I do wax nostalgic for the old school sex bonanzas, I can appreciate that she tempers the amorous activities of her characters based on situation and personality. Even when there are a lot of love scenes they're never gratuitous or tawdry. 

Its a great book, Willig will keep you involved in the past, perhaps not so much in the future. Her modern-day heroine and story teller Eloise is on a less-than-wild-ride to Paris with her boyfriend. These plots are the only real complaint I have with the story, they are a little on the flat side, you're not exactly charging through the intermediate historical chapters to find out if Eloise and Colin end up having to share a hotel room with his sister. In the end however its not important. As far as I'm concerned Lauren Willig can do whatever the hell she wants, talking vegetables or not. Oh wait, she already did that, I almost forgot about good ole Turnip Fitzhugh. I should go to the guillotine for that, its almost as bad as Augustus Whittlesby's poetry.

Under The Sea of Monsters

All right I admit it, I've bought in, at least partially, to the Percy Jackson cult. I still am looking forward to The Throne of Fire, the second book in the Kane Chronicles trilogy, more, but I've at least partially bought in. 

The son of the sea god literally goes to sea in this book, and the adventures are far more in the fantasy realm than the fringes of reality we saw in The Lightening Thief, but the fast pace and verbal zingers continue. As in the first book there is a double edged quest, save Grover the lost satyr/bestie of Percy and retrieve the Golden Fleece to save the dying tree which controls the fate of beloved Camp Half-Blood, his only true home. Oh did I mention Percy also gets a Maury Povich-like reunion with his half brother Tyson, who happens to be a Cyclops? And why not, single eyes have been chic since pirates started wearing eye patches. 

This book definitely delves in to the psyche more with out wounded demigods with lingering parent issues, understandable with Percy now saddled with a slow monster that loves ponies for a brother (face it, throw in a desire to buy underwear at K-mart and an awkward kiss with Annabeth in an elevator and you have a teenage remake of Rainman). Annabeth herself has a disquieting brush with bondage tied to the mast of a ship and the island of the Sirens, where she pathologically is fantasizing about lunch with her parents and the favorite hunky villain Luke. The best part of The Sea of Monsters comes from the big reveal at the end of the rebirth of Thalia, daughter of Zeus. Not only is she the possible other option to fulfill the prophcy Percy is dreading, but Annabeth's hints about how close Thalia and Percy are in personality, and how their could be real friends. The Harry Potter parallels continue to avalanche in, but unlike some others on the criticism circuit I can't fault Riordan for that. There are a few classic forms for stories, don't fix what ain't broke.

How Many Miles To Babylon?

The writing team of Candice Proctor and her husband Steve Harris makes me more than slightly nervous when I read them. The Babylonian Codex is the third book in their co-written series of thrillers about rogue CIA agent Jax Alexander and seriously unlucky and PTSD suffering remote viewer Tobie Guinness. I picked up the first on a whim in one of my Friends of the Library bookstore deals, for a thrifty quarter. The second I bought for a bus book, when I, in a moment of weakness agreed to chaperone my sixteen year-old cousin Madeline's sophomore field trip to New York City. Between the bus being late (by many hours) and traffic I finished it in a day. I scared the ever-loving shit out of me, I kept expecting the bus to be shot up or bombed.

As a former Army and Federal Government intelligence man, I have no doubt that Steve Harris knows where more than a few bodies are buried. I what he shares of the government's bad behavior is just the declassified stuff, can you even imagine what we don't know. Trust me you'll be paranoid too. I, despite my trepidation, bit and bought the third book and have to admit that it, in my humble opinion, is the best yet. The first book had a good concept but was a bit random. The second I found a lot slower. They're all good stories, with lots of shoot-em-up, James Bond-esque tricks, car chases, and scenarios. The cast of characters is also always large, which can make it a challenge to keep up at times, the second book set in Russia was particularly troubled in some respects. A certain amount of background in the government and military hierarchy is also necessary, otherwise you'll quickly get lost.

Like most of Candice Proctor's other stuff, romance and mystery alike, the characters are all well developed, and have a complete and fascinating backstory. The idea of remote viewing is a fascinating one, and in their author notes copious references are given (all very welcome and informative) including the push to read The Men Who Stare At Goats (they also insist, book not movie, which I greatly admire). It's the idea of remote viewing, the ability for a person, through meditation and focus to see the location of a target in a sealed opaque envelope, that lead me to classify this as Fantasy. Tobie is a crack remote viewer, reliable almost all the time, a rarity in itself. Even the book admits that reliable remote viewers typically are about are common as lightening striking twice, but the act that she also has some kind of weird force field which disrupts electrical gadgets in close range of her crosses from the unusual to improbable. 

The book leaves on a good note, of course all entries in a series do. I'll keep an open mind however because I think that the relationship between Tobie and Jax, while completely platonic, has reached an interesting juncture. Their associating is cementing, so the books no longer seem like random meetings or forced acquaintance, and Jax has also started to overcome his prejudice towards remote viewing, which seems promising. He also wrecks cars like most people use Kleenex, which I confess i really enjoy. 

A Visit To The Agency

The Agency: A Spy In The House is an interesting book for a couple of reasons. First I think it explores a cultural niche not often referenced in Victorian, or most literature, the Asian subculture. Mary Lang Quinn, the heroine of the novel is the daughter of an Irish woman and a Cantonese sailor. Her appearance and the roots of the culture are often the topic of speculation, however Quinn is interesting because she assimilates so well into the Caucasian culture around her. The Sarah Woolson mysteries by Shirley Tallman go deep into Chinatown in 1880s San Francisco, however it is mainly used to hi-light the dichotomy between the haves and the have nots. The sub-story in The Agency goes beyond that to weave together the plot-lines.

The second intriguing thing about the story is that the author is open about the fact that this all female spy agency, which takes in the untouchables of the London streets, free of charge, educates them, and sends them out to investigate the rich and powerful, is completely fanciful. Too often, period pieces write revisionist history, where everything is picturesque and the plot lines totally out of joint with the happenings and mores of the time. Lee takes as much of actual history as possible, and when she integrates the more fanciful and incongruous elements, makes it plausible.

Overall it was a fast-paced, well-developed, mystery that kept me guessing. The romantic entanglements didn't interfere too badly with the central plot, and the segue into the next two books of the trilogy was smoothly done. No complaints from me.

Retributive Bolts of Lightning

The Red Pyramid, the first book in Rick Riordan's new series the Kane Chronicles was one of my favorite picks for 2010, and having enjoyed it so much I figured I should go back to where it all began for Riordan, with The Lightening Thief. This was a book that had been sort of taunting me for months. I received a bundle of all five books in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series for my classroom, and they have proved very popular. I had one student who was pushing them blatantly (I'm fairly certain he felt he belonged at Camp Half-Blood) to the point that he started leaving copies on my desk. Still I didn't read them, because frankly it just didn't catch my fancy.

Last year a co-worker of mine, Katie, had mentioned the books to me, after I saw her reading one at lunch. She encouraged me to read them because after all "don't you just love Greek mythology!" Okay, I know I have a cultural anthropology degree, I know I've done some archeological work, yes I've been to Greece. That does not add up to a love of Greek mythology, and if a love of mythology was what would attract me to these books, it just wasn't going to happen. THis past fall another co-worker, Stephanie, about twenty years older than Katie happened to pick up the none-too-subtly deposited book off my desk and mentioned she had read the series, and found them enjoyable. Her fourteen year-old son struggled with reading, but found these books to not be so much of a challenge (I refrained from asking if her son's difficulty reading had anything to do with a dalliance some fifteen or so years ago with the mailman, who was really the god Hermes in disguise). We then went on to have an intelligent discussion about what she liked about the books, and subsequently what she hadn't like about the movie version.

Stephanie, my elder co-worker said that Percy's age (12) and the insecurities and responses that h has because of that stage of development were the best part for her, lost when the movie-makers bumped his age up a few years. Personally I found it a little irritating, there was too much of a gap for me to relate to him as a character and at times it felt a little too silly. In The Red Pyramid because one protagonist is twelve and the other fourteen and the narrative switches off between them that goofy childishness is more tempered. Back to The Lightening Thief. Was it a bad book? Certainly not, it is fairly well paced, had some nice twists and turns, which if they weren't totally unexpected at least well plotted. The modernization of the gods was a nice touch that gave it a fresh feel and was good for a laugh, the next time you see Jimmy Buffett on T.V. singing Margaritaville just remember, Poseidon looks exactly like him, except with black hair.

At 375 pages it was a lot shorter than Red Pyramid (a hefty 528) however to tell the truth I'm not sure if I can slog through another four books worth of Olympian fun. At present I have an enormous bcaklog of books waiting so it won't be soon. However, Riordan is one of the freshest authors I've read in a long time. I think his storytelling is top notch, so even if I'm not terribly interested in the subject matter I might give it the old college try again. After all how can that many million fans be wrong?

Don't Be Afraid of the Beautiful Darkness

In the fall I read Beautiful Creatures, Book One of the Caster Chronicles in an epic marathon read. I perhaps should have taken more time because as I started to read Beautiful Darkness barely two months later I was like, huh? I don't remember that happening. The finale of the first (and second) books is very fast paced and things can easily slip through the cracks (especially with a headcase like me).

One of many series built on the very loose idea of the Twilight saga (very loose meaning it has something to do with the supernatural, a love story, and it has a black cover to let you know it). Thankfully, this series in general, has a couple of things  going for it. First the male protagonist and narrator gives the book a certain edge, even if readers may have doubts what two middle aged women know about the mind of a seventeen-year-old boy. Far less whiny than the myriad of angsty teenage girls its a welcome relief even if he is lost in love. THe tension feels less drama-queen and more realistic (in spite of the demons, casters, incubi, and magical animals that can guide you into visions) perhaps because of all that. Knowing what has happened in the first book, which you will not understand Beautiful Darkness without, makes the loe connection make sense even in the moments that have you smacking your forehead.

If I had to pick my favorite thing about the Caster Chronicles, which despite appearances I do really enjoy, it that they are a true modern Southern Gothic. I've had a weak spot for Southern Gothic since I first John Berent's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil in nonfiction and Faulkner's A Rose for Emily in fiction, and have read it ever since. It is a genre that is difficult to define, because the supernatural element (Stohl's area of expertise according to the author page) is not necessary to create it, however a certain amount of darkness is. The Deep South seems to have a mystique of its own, created by magnolias and moonlight, creole and cotillions, voodoo, religious fervor and sin all intermingle in a intangible and complex backstory. Certainly there are a number of Southern Gothic out there, however this one is fascinating because it is completely modern and still it works and is equally eerie and fascinating. 

Overall this book is a good mix, strongly young adult, but not out of the question for adults (hey the Twilight Moms read it). THe new characters, Liv and John Breed lend a edge to the story that distinguishes it from Book One, and those enraptured by the supernaturals will be drawn further into the Caster world. I can't help but admire the dedication and skill of the team of writers, as a solo activity writing is a challenge, it must take some serious dedication to write with a good friend and have that writing meld so well. Don't be afraid, there's some beautiful things out there in the dark.

The Lion's Bride... Oh My

This book has been languishing on my paperback shelf for perhaps nine or ten months now, I bought it at the small bookstore our library has to raise money. Paperbacks are a quarter and hardcovers only a dollar, often you can get a bagful of books for the price of one new paperback at Boarders. You don't feel guilty about impulse purchases and if you never read it, well hopefully I can afford a quarter. This one sat around for a while but I finally got around to it.

I have to say that sheiks and sand have never held much appeal for me, I wouldn't mind seeing the Holy Land, in fact I hope to one day but the whole Arab culture has never held much mystique for me. Tasha Alexander's fourth Lady Emily mystery, Tears of Pearl, had her inside a harem in Constantinople and I found the whole thing totally uninteresting, the cultural basis is so unappealing I really don't even want to read about it. Ethnocentric, especially coming from an anthropologist, but you can see why I had my doubts about a book set in the Middle East during the Crusades.

To Johansen's credit she does her damnedest to get around the nontraditional setting, her hero is Scottish (and why not?) and by the end of the book the main characters find cause to return there. There isn't a whole lot of wandering around the desert on camels in white robes and turbans, which is what I feared. The plot includes a lot of interesting side details about embroidery and the creation of silk, the Knights Templar, and falconry which certainly is unusual. I was immediately a fan of the heroine's name, Thea, if for no other reason than that the one year I lived on campus in college a girl named Thea lived in the suite next to ours. She was an Avon girl, which I found very cute, I was even guilted into buying a foot care kit from her that I gave to my mother for her birthday. I digress but how can one resist Avon calling?

The scope of the story is long, covering five years with a lot of downtime, which cools off the romance considerably. Lord Ware the hero is remarkably unsexy in may ways, the first one that comes to mind is his demand that the heroine stay and watch while a whore gives him a blow job, but then again love conquers all and covers a multitude of sins. I like it enough, gross chauvinism aside, to want to read the sequel The Treasure, published a mere twelve years later in 2008. I'll report when I do.

Dating Da Vinci (Sort Of)

A week into the new year I thought it might be time to actually talk about what I'm reading, but since I was juggling three books at once it was a race to the finish to see which I would finish first. Dating Da Vinci by Malena Lott won out, but not by much. I actually found this in the advertisements in the back of The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy, which I finish right before the new year. It looked like fun, light chick lit, and since I enjoyed the aforementioned Trials I gave it a whirl.

English teacher Ramona Elise, 36, has stopped fully living her life ever since her husband Joel died from a sudden heart attack two years ago. Despite pleas from her family and friends to get rid of Joel’s belongings and try dating again, Ramona can’t imagine erasing her late husband’s presence from her home. Until one day, Leonardo da Vinci, an attractive young Italian immigrant, lands in her classroom, lonely and unable to speak the language. Taking him under her wing, Ramona gives da Vinci a place to stay and, in return, he brings her back to life.

I wish I could say that was true, but unfortunately the book was hardly what the summary promised. I imagined a lot of funny scenes with Da Vinci struggling with the language barrier, and awkward scene trying to avoid detection for illicit hot-for-teacher dating. That and sex scenes with a hunky Italian(don't bother looking there really aren't any, just delicate references and one or two showers). Rather than that (and yes I realize I was projecting, like you don't) it turned into the literary equivalent of The Family Stone. I looked forward to that movie so, not only because it was Sarah Jessica Parker's first movie post-Sex and the City, but also because it looked hilarious in the previews. With all the torture we go though at the holidays who doesn't want to laugh at someone else's trials. WHen I actually saw the movie for the first time, I hated it because while there were funny moments, it was very maudlin. I didn't come for a tearjerker, and Dating Da Vinci made me feel the same way.

The plot wasn't nearly as fast paced or interesting as one would expect, it wasn't even really a romance, or it wanted to be but no one clued Ramona the main character in on that fact. In reality I think I may just be too young and too not a mom to get this book, because everything Ramona does seems pathetic and depressing. While I appreciate that the main focus was pulling her out of her grief and depression, it wasn't enough to keep me engaged. Two hundred and fifty pages of her debating whether or not to throw away her dead husband's last jar of peanut butter just doesn't do it for me. The fact that Ramona's second love interest after Da Vinci was named Cortland also bothered me, but I guess if Gwenyth Paltrow can name her son Apple, why shouldn't a character in a novel be named after one? Tolerable, not terrific.

Comments: Year Three

With the lists getting longer, it seemed prudent to post the list on its own and save the comments. 2009 saw continuation of many series I had picked up the year before (I remember distinctively biting my nails during February vacation waiting for my pre-ordered copy of Silent on the Moor to arrive) and also some new strategies for finding books. One was to follow the advice of some of my favorite authors/bloggers. Often on websites and blogs authors offer advice on other authors to read while you're waiting for their next book to come out and I've used this guidance. I also check the quotes on the back of the book, those blurbs often come from authors who write in a very similar style or genre. My pursuit of Diana Gabaldon's novels, M.M. Kaye's mysteries, and Jo Beverly all arose this way, off Lauren Willig's recommendation.

The second was more strategic shelf shopping, no matter how many times you tell me you can't judge a book by its cover, I will continue to disagree. I can usually tell by inspecting the external parts of a book, cover quotes, and panel summary if I'll even consider reading a book, let alone like it. That being said there are rare exceptions, for example Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games. I never would pick this book up off a shelf, and even given its description it would be unlikely it would attract my attention. When it was added to our summer reading list for the seventh grade I was forced to pick it up and enjoyed it, I even went on to read the next two books of the trilogy (unfortunately I can't say I like them nearly as well). When I go to the library I'll surf the new books section, and often turn up some gems, but for the most part i have always stuck to the glossy easily accessible displays. Learning to shift through thousands of shelved books is a whole other story. 

Also there is a hefty dose of romance creeping onto the list. Literally hundreds of ripped bodices littering the literary floor. Most are Jo Beverly, from her Company of Rogue's novels and the incomparable Malloren family. Joanne Sundell was a shelf shopping find I made, and her works are chaste by comparison and have truly interesting plot lines. I make no bones about enjoying romance and am a big advocate of the Smart Bitches, Trashy Books and read their book in 2010. I think its a legitimate genre like any other, and is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about reading. I didn't always, I remember reading these kind of books in middle school (to learn about sex, why else?) and covering them, with brown paper bags from the grocery store, just like textbooks. It sounds ridiculous now but honestly, I think I would have died if my father saw me reading a book with a bare-chested mullet sporting man ravishing a damsel whose dress was partially torn off. Wouldn't you? Thank God I've matured beyond that...sort of.

Top Shelf

You now have all four complete lists, however tradition dictates that those lists be narrowed down to select the best, or at least the ones I enjoyed most. For the first three years I have selected five books, for 2010 because the list was so much onger I expanded it to fifteen. They are bulleted, so not in any particular order. Mostly its chronilogical, but don't read anything into where it falls in the bullets. I selected them based on a couple of criteria, first my enjoyment of them, second quality or writing both in terms of plot and how well reserached and detailed they are, third how accessible they are, some books just don't translate for most people, and fourth originality, there are a lot of books out there, many with stock themes, picking only the standouts is helpful.

2007

• What Angels Fear: C.S. Harris, this pen name is one of the many faces of Candice Proctor, wonder woman of the world. Amazingly accomplished she writes under at least three names, one in conjunction with her husband. This first mystery about aristocrat and former soldier Sebastian St. Cyr is shocking, Harris never fails to twist the knife deeper, and is a wonderflly dark side of the perpetually fluffy world of Regency England so oftenportrayed in novels.
• Falling Angels: Tracy Chevalier, I confess I hated Girl With A Pearl Earring when I read it, so I was reluctant to try CHevalier again. Everyone, from the written reviews in the library book, to the librarian herself assured me how wonderful this was, and they were right. An examination of the truth of repression and the Victorian obsession with death and status, its told from a children's perspective which is extremly effective and enhancesthe sense of tragedy.
• The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon: Stephen King, You'll always see at least one of his books on my list, however the love I have for this one is how different it is. No one can call Stephen King a hack gorror wrtier after reading this book. Again a book told from the perspective of a child, with very adult themes is extraordinarily powerful. And yes New Englanders really do love the Red Sox that much.
• The Monsters: Dorothy and THomas Hoobler, Nonfiction that draws you in, this book (unfortunately now out of print) is a terrific Halloween read. THe story of the curse surrounding the writing of Frankenstein seems like a ghost story in itself, until you realize its one of the great stories of literary history.
• Our Fathers: David France, A reporter for the Boston Globe who saw the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal errupt in his face, France tells the drama like a novel, never sugar-coating the truth, but revealing the good and hope of the sad situation along with the bad and the ugly.

2008

• The Double Bind: Chris Bojhalian, I struggle with Bojhalian's books, the rivet me while I'm reading but I am always left cold afterards, and never really sure if I like the book. THe Doulbe Bind was my first foray into Bojahlian's world, and I guarentee it is everything it promises, and a boatload more. Don't say I din't warn you.
• Bloody Jack: L.A. Meyer, Written for young adults, but certainly sophisticated enough in both narrative and content for adults this is the first in a series now eight books long about an orphan named Mary who poses as a boy to join the British navy. Meyer a Navy man himself fills the books with impeecable details, characters to love, and lots of humor.
• Silent in the Grave: Deanna Raybourn, THe first and i my opinion best of Raybourn's Lady Julia Grey mysteries the story is half Kate Chopin's The Awakening and half female Sherlock Holmes. Socially conscious, it explores the facets of Victoiran history often forgotten, delving into both public and private worlds. The cooky and extended family of the main character provides pleanty of action, and of course they have a Tower raven for a pet.
• The Secret History of the Pink Carnation: Lauren Willig, I read a lot of romances, and unabashedly love them. However I grant few are for the general public, if you read one read this. Willig has a Ph.D. in histry and a ;aw degree from Harvard, she wrote Carnation in her spare time. Based off the legends of the French Revolution inspired by the Scarlet Pimpernel the parallel romances of her historical characters and modern day scholar Eloise meld nicely, with swashbuckly, spies, and just the right amount of ridiculousness.
• The Monsters of Templeton: Lauren Groff, Every one in a while a novel comes along that you can't stop thinking about. Its that good, you can tell it came from some part of the author's soul they were willing to part with. This, Groff's debut novel is that kind of book. It is the ultimate lovestory to her hometown of Cooperstown, NY, with the center character merely being a springboard for the complex history of that place. Drawing on James Fenimore Cooper's cannon, local lore, myth, and legend it is truly astounding.

2009

• Outlander: Diana Gabaldon, this novel was published in 1993, how I never read it before this is beyond me. Gabaldon's dedication to research, detail, and storytelling is enough to bring me back, whether I like where she takes the plot or not. Her novels are so many things, romance, science fiction, histroical fiction, mystery, adventure, its hard to pick one reason why I love them, however several hefty tomes later the original remains my favorite.
• The Devlin Diary: Christi Phillips, Normally I list the first book in a series, however I walked in on thesecond book of the series, but one I read the first (The Rosetti Letter) I continued to like this one better. Another back and forth historical novel, with a reseracher in the future telling the story it mainly pulled me because it fills in the gaps American readers so often feel when reading books not about their own country. Its a novel about the history of England that is 100% accessible and takes the pressure out of reading it.
• The Explosionist: Jenny Davidson, a young adult novel set during an alternate WWII. Davidson describes a world where the factions are different and Scotland, where this book is set, it allied with the Scandanavian countires. Her discriptions are so vivid at times I forgot that this world wan't real. This book is like a cooler, more firghtening, feminist version of Adlous Huxley's Brave New World for kids.
• The Luxe: Anna Godbersen, New York Times bestseller this book is yet another well written, well researched historical novel (see the trend) the thin line between hedonism and propriety in high society at the turn of the century is flaunted. The multiple story lines never get confusing, and complment each other well, it is deliciously over the top and extravagent. 
• Wages of Sin: Penelope Williamson, Set in 1920's New Orleans this is another second book in a series (following Mortal Sins) but could stand alone. This book is written by someone who has emersed herself in the culture, it seems like the reader is looking through a peephole into the speakeasy. It is Boardwalk Empire, but grittier and dirtier. The mystery is horrific, the characters brutally realisitc, and the humid air almost seeps off the page. Not suprising Williamson is Candice Proctor's (C.S. Harris') sister, she does the same for 1920's New Orleans Harris did for Regency London.

2010

• Murphy's Law/Her Royal Spyness: Rhys Bowen THere is no mystery author so consistently rewarded as Rhys Bowen, I'm sure those pitted against her in awards ceremonies want to scratch her eyes out. Her formula is good though, familiar witty characters, creative mysteries, and a condense formula that stop things from getting too wordy and too confusing. These picks are the first books from her two most recent series, Molly Murphy and Lady Georgiana (the Constable Evan Evans mysteries are mostly out of print) both are wonderful, and I've read them with equal enthusiasm. If I were forced to pick I would have to go with Her Royal Spyness simply because I enjoy the time, setting, and they are much more humorous.
• Soulless: Gail Carriger Steampunk was a new world to me, though I've certainly seen a few movies with the theme. A historically smart kind of sci-fi (Amanda Quick's Arcane Society novels set in Victoria London come close) the plot can confuse at times, with imaginary words being dropped like the reader should understand them. It will certainly make you laugh, with stock characters getting a whole other dimension with a historical and supernatural twist. After all who wouldn't want a fabulous Rococo vampire named Lord Akeldama as their sassy gay best friend?
• The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: Alan Bradley, It took me longer to get into this one than I would have like. As the first book of the Flavia de Luce series it was slow at times (let's face it stamp collecting is not all that enthralling) but once I got past the slow start these are a winner. Imagine Miss Marple meets Lucy from the Peanuts, Sherlock Holmes in the body of a ten year old riding a bicycle named Gladys. Its that good.
• Under the Dome/Gone: Stephen King/ Michael Grant, These two are lumped together because of content rather than author. THe plot is essentially the same, in the middle of the day a dome drops down over a town, cutting the inhabitants off from the greater world. Grant's book written for young adults, adds the extra pice that all people over the age of fifteen vanish with the coming of the barrier. The settings are very different, rural Maine (of course, hello its Steohen King) and costal California, as a re the cause of the phenomena. However the link between them, what makes for such great reading is the study of what it does to the people, a psychological study of the impact that fear and isolation has on people. King's mammoth 1,200 page book draws you in to its conclusion. Grant's is just a taste, in a growing series now up to three books.
• The Red Necklace: Sally Gardener, THe French Revolution is hardly a new topic for fiction, YA or otherwise. But Gardiner's supernatural, dark and unusual take on the aristocracy and the spies who helped them escape is unlike any other I've encountered so far. With characters you'll either love or hate, with no grey area, it has unexpected additions beyond the traditional ones you'd expect, tragedy, violence, and in the oddest of places, love. This book and its sequel The Silver Blade are excellent.
• Mark of the Lion: Suzanne Arruda, If you loved Out of Africa, you'll love Suzanne Arruda, with a corner on this market, exploring an unexpected time and place for historical mysteries her first Jade del Cameron mystery is spooky and vivid and will open you eyes to a whole other world in the dark heart of Africa. Perhaps not the best of the series (now six books in length) it is a good start and draws the reader into 1920's Kenya.
• The Hunger Games: Suzanne Collins, A book with a concept that shocks many, with good reason, this book is only one in a long line of books that depict a society that claims to be a utopia, but underneath is definitely not. Part social commentary, part romance, and all about the battle for the disenfranchised to make their way in the world this book is not nearly as bloody as it seems. Katniss Everdeen, a teenager in Panem takes her sister's place in a battle of wits, to the death and along the way discovers not only that she wants to live, but wants to teach her captors a lesson. The story is engrossing and powerful, if a tad over dramatic at times. It definitely surpassed the other two books of the trilogy that followed (Catching Fire and Mockingjay) by leaps and bounds.
• Dogtown: Elyssa East, a rare nonfiction pick on the list for 2010 this book hit close to home both geographically for me as a New Englander, but also because of the type of lore it describes. This instinctual fear of the land is something I don't think that other parts of the country really understand, except perhaps the Deep South. Dogtown is certainly not alone in this type of legend and lore, read almost any native New England author from the 17th century on and you'll see it. Elyssa East is a persistent and excellent researcher who explores every angle of this strange place, and to tell the truth, made me afraid to look out my windows for fear of what I might see.
• The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker: Leanna Renee Hiber, A book that kept popping up but one I never actually found time to read this book was a surprise and a delight. Never before have I seen an albino character portrayed in a positive light in a book, let alone allowed to be the hero/heroine (remember the creepy monk Silas from The DaVinci Code?) the supernatural elements balance nicely with the very human emotions both Percy and Alexi undergo, the elements that tie mythology in will also interest Greek myth lovers. 
• The Red Pyramid: Rick Riordan, I've never read Percy Jackson or its myriad of sequels, though I may get around to it this year. This being my first Rick Riordan experience, I was blown away. This book got a lot of flack online for being too slow, too scary, and too confusing. Okayyyyyy... shoot for the stars people, it is a book written for 12-14 year olds. The ties to ancient Egyptian mythology and archaeology are excellent, accurate and well researched. Riordan writes with that age group in mind, his stories will appeal to adults as well. I like the two protagonist, dual narration (Riordan claims he is transcribing an audio recording) the portrayals of gods are imaginative and funny and I found no pacing problems, embrace the Kane Chronicles.
• The Wednesday Wars: Gary D. Schmidt, another one of our sumer reading books (like The Hunger Games) I found this award winner funny, intelligent, and touching. Schmidt's depiction of the 1960 Long Island town where he grew up is spot on (it should be he lived it) and vivid. His approach to Shakespeare is truly though a kids eyes but still insightful. That and any book with two giant attack rats called Sycorax and Caliban is a winner in my book.
• Way Off The Road: Bill Geist, In the tradition of Bill Bryson's The Lost Continent, this book hits the road and celebrates how zany, uncomplicated, unexpected, delicious, and varied America can be. It reminds us that all the technology in the world can't replace people, and the importance of how they effect each other. It reminds us that sometimes, like Dorothy says, your hearts desire may be right outside your own back door. These short, funny anecdotes are manageable, and it can be picked up and put down easily, a great vacation book.
• The Two Lives of Miss Charlotte Merryweather: Alexandra Potter, a concession to chick lit on the list this book has a couple of things going for it. First it has a hero called Ollie, a triumph in itself. Second it is the ultimate fantasy, what is you could go back in time and give advice to yourself ten years ago, what would you tell her/him. Its a fun, carefree book with all of its problems neatly tied up by the end, and a few unexpected twists and turns in the middle. If you're new to the genre, its not a bad place to start.
• Heist Society: Ally Carter, I've always enjoyed Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls stories about her spy school for young girls, however her new series about the daughter of an art thief and her merry band of friends with similar sticky fingers takes Carter's writing to a whole other level. Its more polished and detailed, less simpering and silliness, and for YA readers a nice look into the world of fine art and culture.
• Murder on Nob Hill, Shirley Tallman, Yet another Victorian mystery series (I know I'm an addict) they follow the story of California's second female lawyer Sarah Wooliston. Tallman has done extensive research into both San Francisco at the time and the history of women in law which leads to very interesting reading. Her mysteries are good, but the history is certainly the most interesting part. Her supporting characters are endearing and unexpected making it an all around enjoyable read, the three Sarah Wolliston mysteries that follow are all worth a spin as well.

Year Four: 2010

Books Read Starting January 1, 2010

 

1.) The White Garden                        Stephanie Barron

2.) And Then He Kissed Her                        Laura Lee Guthrie

3.) A Highlander For Christmas            Sandy Blair

4.) Splendor                                                Anna Godberson

5.) Howdunit: Book of Poisons            Serita Stevens & Anne Barron

6.) The Revolution of Sabine            Beth Levin Ain

7.) Disappearance At Pere Lachaise              Claude Izner

8.) Christmas Cookie Murder            Leslie Meier

9.) The Day The Falls Stood Still            Cathy Marie Buchanan

10.) Beyond Sunrise                                    Candice Proctor

11.) An Echo In The Bone                        Diana Gabaldon

12.) Betrayal of the Blood Lily            Lauren Willig

13.) Murphy’s law                                    Rhys Bowen

14.) Midnight Confessions                        Candice Proctor

15.) Death of Riley                                    Rhys Bowen

16.) The Bequest                                    Candice Proctor

17.) For The Love of Mike                        Rhys Bowen

18.) Soulless                                                Gail Carriger

19.) In Like Flynn                                    Rhys Bowen

20.) Oh Danny Boy                                    Rhys Bowen

21.) A Share In Death                        Deb Crombie

22.) Mr. Allbone’s Ferrets                        Fiona Farrell

23.) Forbidden                                    Jo Beverly

24.) Matchmaker, Matchmaker            Joanne Sundell

25.) September Moon                        Candice Proctor

26.) Trade Wind                                    M.M. Kaye

27.) The Marriage List                        Dorothy McFall

28.) The Van Alen Legacy                        Melissa De La Cruz

29.) In Dublin’s Fair City                        Rhys Bowen

30.) The Last Knight                                    Candice Proctor

31.) Tell Me Pretty Maiden                        Rhys Bowen

32.) The Coral Thief                                    Rebecca Stott

33.) In A Gilded Cage                                    Rhys Bowen

34.) The Jewel Box                                    Anna Davis

35.) Death In Kashmir                        M.M. Kaye

36.) Night In Eden                                    Candice proctor

37.) Betraying Season                        Marissa Doyle

38.) Her Royal Spyness                        Rhys Bowen

39.) Dark Champion                                    Jo Beverly

40.) The Dead Travel Fast                        Deanna Raybourn

41.) The Sweetness At The Bottom of the Pie   Alan Bradley

42.) The Gates                                    John Connolly

43.) A Man In A Kilt                                    Sandy Blair

44.) Murder At Longbourn                        Tracey Kiely

45.) A Royal Pain                                    Rhys Bowen

46.) Crocodile on the Sandbank            Elizabeth Peters

47.) Bellfield Hall                                    Anna Dean

48.) Royal Flush                                    Rhys Bowen

49.) Under the Dome                                    Stephen King

50.) Beyond Heaving Bosoms            Candy Tan & Sarah Wendall

51.) Curse of the Pharaohs                        Elizabeth Peters

52.) Outlaw                                                Elizabeth Lowell

53.) Dangerous Men, Adventurous Women   J.A. Kretz

54.) The India Fan                                    Victoria Holt

55.) Dead Until Dark                                    Charlaine Harris

56.) The Season                                    Sarah McLean

57.) The Nerd Who Loved Me            Vicki Lewis Thompson

58.) Living Dead In Dallas                        Charlaine Harris

59.) Club Dead                                    Charlaine Harris

60.) A Reliable Wife                                    Robert Goolrick

61.) Dead To The World                        Charlaine Harris

62.) Cocaine Blues                                    Kerry Greenwood

63.) To Love And To Cherish            Patricia Gaffney

64.) Nerd In Shining Amour                        Vicki Lewis Thompson

65.) The Flame and the Flower            Katherine Woodiwiss

66.) Dead As A Doornail                        Charlaine Harris

67.) Heat Wave                                    Richard Castle

68.) Definitely Dead                                    Charlaine Harris

69.) All Together Dead                        Charlaine Harris

70.) Form Dead To Worse                        Charlaine Harris

71.) Gone With The Nerd                        Vicki Lewis Thompson

72.) A Touch of Dead                                    Charlaine Harris

73.) Dangerous Joy                                    Jo Beverly

74.) Dead and Gone                                    Charlaine Harris

75.) The Pirates of Pensacola            Keith Thompson

76.) The Archangel Project                        C.S. Graham

77.) My Nerdy Valentine                        Vicki Lewis Thompson

78.) India: A History                                    John Keats

79.) Ruined                                                Paula Morris

80.) Grave Sight                                    Charlaine Harris

81.) Out Of The Dawn Light                        Alys Claire

82.) Grave Surprise                                    Charlaine Harris

83.) The Last Illusion                                    Rhys Bowen

84.) An Ice Cold Grave                        Charlaine Harris

85.) Lady Be Bad                                    Candice Hern

86.) Grave Secret                                    Charlaine Harris

87.) The Weed That Strings The Hangman’s Bag             Alan Bradley

88.) Mark of the Lion                                    Suzanne Arruda

89.) An Arranged Marriage                        Jo Beverly

90.) Shakespeare’s Landlord            Charlaine Harris

91.) The Solomon Effect                        C.S. Graham

92.) Dead In The Family                        Charlaine Harris

93.) The Crimson Rooms                        Kate McMahon

94.) Shakespeare’s Champion            Charlaine Harris

95.) The Ninth Circle                                    Alex Bell

96.) Murder On The Cliffs                        Joanne Challis

97.) Loving A Lost Lord                        Mary Jo Putney

98.) Bloodline                                    Maggie Shayne

99.) Wicked All Day                                    Liz Carlyle

100.) Viking Heat                                    Sandra Hill

101.) Scat                                                Carl Hiassen

102.) The Pint Man                                    Steve Rushkin

103.) A Great and Terrible Beauty            Libba Bray

104.) The God of the Hive                        Laurie R. King

105.) To Tempt A Saint                        Kate Moore

106.) Stalking Ivory                                    Suzanne Arruda

107.) The Cliff House Strangler            Shirley Tallman

108.) The Carousel Painter                        Judith Miller

109.) An Expert In Murder                        Nicola Upson

110.) Murder On Nob Hill                        Shirley Tallman

111.) The Bartered Bride                        Mary Jo Putney

112.) The Russian Hill Murders            Shirley Tallman

113.) Scandal on Rincon Hill            Shirley Tallman

114.) Rebel Angels                                    Libba Bray

115.) Way Off The Road                        Bill Geist

116.) Shameless                                    Karen Robards

117.) The Sweet Far Thing                        Libba Bray

118.) The Serpent’s Daughter            Suzanne Arruda

119.) The Leopard’s Prey                        Suzanne Arruda

120.) My Fair Viking                                    Sandra Hill

121.) Dogtown                                    Elyssa East

122.) A Kiss of Fate                                    Mary Jo Putney

123.) The Treasure of the Golden Cheetah            Suzanne Arruda

124.) A Highlander In Love                        Julia London

125.) To Desire A Devil                        Elizabeth Hoyt

126.) The To Lives of Miss Charlotte Merriweather    Alexandra Potter

127.) Wicked Plants                                    Amy Stewart

128.) Me and Mr. Darcy                        Alexandra Potter

129.) Nothing But A Smile                        Steve Amick

130.) The Trelayne Inheritance            Colleen Shannon

131.) Rough and Ready                        Sandra Hill

132.) The Northbury Papers            Joanne Dobson

133.) To Taste Temptation                        Elizabeth Hoyt

134.) Forgotten Tales of Rhode Island            Jim Ignasher

135.) Never Less Than A Lady            Mary Jo Putney

136.) To Beguile A Beast                        Elizabeth Hoyt

137.) Do You Come Here Often?            Alexandra Potter

138.) Quieter Than Sleep                        Joanne Dobson

139.) Wicked Intentions                        Elizabeth Hoyt

140.) To Seduce A Sinner                        Elizabeth Hoyt

141.) Into The Wilderness                        Sara Donati

142.) The Secret Duke                        Jo Beverly

143.) The Wednesday Wars                        Gary D. Schmidt

144.)The Hunger Games                        Suzanne Collins

145.) I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have To Kill You            Ally Carter

146.) Emerald Embrace                        Shannon Drake

147.) Love On The Air                        Sierra Donovan

148.) Cross My Heart and Hope To Spy            Ally Carter

149.) A House To Die For                        Vicki Doudera

150.) Don’t Judge A Girl By Her Cover            Ally Carter

151.) Gone                                                Michael Grant

152.) The Raven and the Nightingale            Joanne Dobson

153.) Hunger                                                Michael Grant

154.) The Crocodile’s Last Embrace            Suzanne Arruda

155.) Dark Road To Darjeeling            Deanna Raybourn

156.) Catching Fire                                    Suzanne Collins

157.) Royal Blood                                    Rhys Bowen

158.) The Red Necklace                        Sally Gardner

159.) Mockingjay                                    Suzanne Collins

160.) Heist Society                                    Ally Carter

161.) The Perfect Poison                        Amanda Quick

162.) Cold, Pure, and Very Dead            Joanne Dobson

163.) Talk Nerdy To Me                        Vicki Lewis Thompson

164.) Second Sight                                    Amanda Quick

165.) Nerds Like It Hot                        Vicki Lewis Thompson

166.) Changeless                                    Gail Carriger

167.) Lies                                                Michael Grant

168.) The Silver Blade                        Sally Gardner

169.) Keys To The Repository            Melissa de la Cruz

170.) The Third Circle                        Amanda Quick

171.) Misguided Angel                        Melissa de la Cruz

172.) Nerd Gone Wild                        Vicki Lewis Thompson

173.) Beautiful Creatures                        Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

174.) Murder On The Bride’s Side            Tracy Kiely

175.) The Wake of the Lorelai Lee            L.A. Meyer

176.) Little Guide To Vintage Shopping            Melody Fortier

177.) Burning Lamp                                    Amanda Quick

178.) Dangerous To Know                        Tasha Alexander

179.) Blameless                                    Gail Carriger

180.) Breath of Magic                        Teresa Medieros

181.) Rendezvous                                    Amanda Quick

182.) Insatiable                                     Meg Cabot

183.) The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker                Leanna Renee Hieber

184.) Ransom My Heart                        Meg Cabot

185.) The Red Blazer Girls: The Ring of Rocamadour            Michael Beil

186.) A Golden Web

187.) The Mischief of the Mistletoe                        Lauren Willig

188.) The Vanishing Violin                        Michael Beil

189.) Only The Good Spy Young            Ally Carter

190.) Bright Young Things                        Anna Godbersen

191.) Married By Morning                        Lisa Kleypas

192.) The Maltese Manuscript            Joanna Dobson

193.) Seduce Me At Sunrise                        Lisa Kleypas

194.) At Home: A Short History of a Private Life               Bill Bryson

195.) Tempt Me At Twilight                        Lisa Kleypas

196.) An Ideal Husband                        Shari Anton

197.) The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy                        Sara Angelini

198.) Prisoners in the Palace            Michaela MacColl

199.) The Red Pyramid                        Rick Riordan

200.) The Devil Who Tamed Her            Johanna Lindsey

 

Year Three: 2009

Books Read Starting January 1, 2009

 

1.) Wages of Sin                        Penelope Williamson

2.) Midwives                                    Chris Bojhalian

3.) Mortal Sins                        Penelope Williamson

4.) Midnight Mass                        F. Paul Wilson

5.) The Anatomy of Deception            Lawrence Goldstone

6.) Sweetblood                        Pete Hautman

7.) The Temptation of the Night Jasmine            Lauren Willig

8.) Where Serpents Sleep            C.S. Harris

9.) Silent on the Moor            Deanna Raybourn

10.) Revelations                        Melissa de la Cruz

11.) The Black Tower            Louis Bayard

12.) The Likeness                        Tana French

13.) Kingdom of Lies                        Lee Wood

14.) Tales of the City                        Armistead Maupin

15.) The Solace of Leaving Early            Haven Kimmel

16.) The Great Cat Massacre                        Richard Darnton

17.) Delicate Edible Birds                        Lauren Groff

18.) Blood In the City            Richard Burton

19.) Diary of a Napoleonic Foot Soldier            Jacob Walter

20.) A Beautiful Blue Death                        Charles Finch

21.) Faceless Killers                        Henning Mankell

22.) The Diamond of Drury Lane            Julia Golding

23.)The Dogs of Riga                        Henning Mankell

24.) Cat Among the Pigeons                        Julia Golding

25.) The Explosionist                        Jenny Davidson

26.) Den of Thieves                        Julia Golding

27.) The Luxe                                    Anna Godbersen

28.) Outlander                        Diana Gabaldon

29.) Rumors                                    Anna Godbersen

30.) Death in Kenya                        M.M. Kaye

31.) Dragonfly in Amber            Diana Gabaldon

32.) Death in Zanzibar            M.M. Kaye

33.) Voyager                                    Diana Gabaldon

34.) Envy                                    Anna Godbersen

35.) Death in Cyprus                        M.M. Kaye

36.) Basket Case                        Carl Hiassen

37.) Death in Berlin                        M.M. Kaye

38.) Death in the Andemans                        M.M. Kaye

39.) Kingdom of Silence            Lee Wood

40.) Drums of Autumn            Diana Gabaldon

41.) Cut to the Quick                        Kate Ross

42.) The Demon’s Mistress                        Jo Beverly

43.) The Dragon’s Bride                        Jo Beverly

44.) The Devil’s Heiress                        Jo Beverly

45.) The Trail of the Wild Rose            Anthony Eglin

46.) The Parlorhouse Daughter            Joanne Sundell

47.) The Fiery Cross                                    Diana Gabaldon

48.) A Broken Vessel                                    Kate Ross

49.) The Language of Bees                        Laurie R. King

50.) Rapture of the Deep                        L. A. Meyer

51.) The Conjurer                                    Cordelia Frances Biddle

52.) The September Society                        Charles Finch

53.) Lord John and the Private Matter            Diana Gabaldon

54.) The Secret Wedding                        Jo Beverly

55.) Whom the Gods love                        Kate Ross

56.) Cat O’ Nine Tails                                    Julia Golding

57.) A Breath of Snow and Ashes            Diana Gabaldon

58.) The Shadow of Reichenbach Falls            John R. King

59.) The Passion of Mary Margaret                        Lisa Sampson

60.) A Lady’s Secret                                    Jo Beverly

61.) A…My Name is Amelia                        Joanne Sundell

62.) The Rescue A Rogue                        Jo Beverly

63.) The Rose of Sebastopol                        Katherine Mc Mahon

64.) Lady Beware                                    Jo Beverly

65.) The Last Great Necessity            David Charles Sloane

66.) The Devlin Diary                        Christi Phillips

67.) Dark Heart of Jamaica                        Julia Golding

68.) The Devil in Music                        Kate Ross

69.) Tears of Pearl                                    Tasha Alexander

70.) The Rosetti Letter                        Christi Phillips

71.) What Remains of Heaven            C. S. Harris

72.) Deception’s Daughter                        Cordelia Frances Biddle

73.) Murder at Graverly Manor            Daniel Edward Craig

74.) My Lady Notorious                        Jo Beverly

75.) Devilish                                                Jo Beverly

76.) A Rogue’s Return                                    Jo Beverly

77.) Tempting Fortune                        Jo Beverly

78.) A Rogue in a Kilt                                    Sandy Blair

79.) A Thief in a Kilt                                    Sandy Blair

80.) The Fleet Street Murders            Charles Finch

81.) Something Wicked                        Jo Beverly

82.) Skylark                                                Jo Beverly

83.) St. Raven                                                Jo Beverly

84.) The Nude                                    Dorothy McFallen

85.) The Baker Street Letters            Michael Robertson

86.) Secrets of the Night                        Jo Beverly