Finished THE COLORS OF ALL THE CATTLE

 

As usual, I adored this book.  I am ashamed to say that Mma. Ramotswe's ideas and solutions rarely occur to me, since her solutions are gentle, caring, and as non confrontational as possible.  I just need to keep reading these books to let her keep reminding me...

I have now started Peace Talks, 16th book in the Dresden Files series.  I've been waiting awhile for this one to come into paperback (my arthritis wants me to read lighter books, but my sense of continuity wants to see how long the book is and how far I have to go.  Also, I like the making progress feeling of turning pages.)  As usual, Harry leaps into at least three huge and dangerous problems within the first hundred pages.  The roller coaster ride that is these books has started...

Finished THE OUTLANDER

 

Finishing this makes me glad I still have 8 more books in this series.  Compelling characters and plot.  Survival as a modern woman doctor and a outlaw wanted for murder is not easy in 18th century Scotland.  Claire and Jamie deal with things as they come, and they do come.

I have now started The Colors of All the Cattle, another in The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.  Mma. Potokwane is encouraging Mma. Ramotswe to run for political office.  I personally think this is a great idea...

Read CLIFFORD THE SMALL RED PUPPY

 

 

Yes, I am still reading The Outlander.  It is a long book, but it is also very enjoyable.  There is much more detail than was in the television series: Jaime is taller than Claire by several inches, the action is explained in more detail and some sense of humor.  It is a wonderfully compelling story and I don't care if it does blow my bookreading goal on Goodreads.  I bought the first 8 of these books, so maybe I will get to read them all before I die.

I've been buying books for my nieces and nephews and have ordered a couple Clifford books for each of their households.  The ads for the movie look so great, I regret that I had missed them growing up.  Of course, I had been teaching for 5 years when the first book came out, and I was teaching middle school..  So I got Clifford, the Small Red Puppy for the daughter of my house elves and took the opportunity to read it.  These are lovely books for young children, up to probably 7 years old.  What child can resist a puppy?  I know this child (me) can't.

Finished THE THIRD TWIN

 

Another wonderful thriller from Ken Follett.  I had to stay up late last night to finish it--knowing I'd never sleep if I didn't.  Love books like that, but I do lose sleep that way...

I have now started The Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.  We have watched the first 4 seasons on the tv show on Netflix and we didn't want it to end, so I ordered the first 8 books.  They are very big books, so I bet lots happens that wasn't on tv.  Looking forward to them.

Finished THE MEASURE OF A MAN

 

This is what it says it is--a spiritual autobiography.  He accounts how has has grown in understanding of himself and others.  Disappointed at first (expecting a movielogue full of stories),  I grew with the book enjoying the journey with him.

Sidney Poitier wrote and autobiography which was more like what I had originally expected, but wow, it's price is ridiculously high on Amazon.  It is obviously out of print...I will be keeping my eyes open.

I have now started The Third Twin, by Ken Follett, but it's subject matter reminds me of Robin Cook.  Jeannie is looking for identical twins raised apart to study the age old question--does genetics make the person, or does environment?  Using a dental database, she has found two young men who appear alike genetically, one a law student and the other a murderer.  But she is told by both them and their parents that they are not one of a set of twins, they were not even adopted.  And now, there is a third?  I suspect we will find genetics manipulation of a criminal nature..

Finished HAUNTED DESTINY

Again, I very much enjoyed the story.  It had good characters (including the ghosts) a great setting (a cruise aboard an upscale, historic ship), and a good cast of suspects.

I have now started The Measure of a Man  A Spiritual Autobiography.  This is not what I was expecting (a history of his films and his experiences in making them), but rather a record of experiences and how they effected his growth, maturation, character, and spirit.  It is fascinating and beautiful.  He has written an autobiography of the type I was expecting...I need to find it next.

Finished THE HOUSE OF SPIRITS

 

This book left me unsettled.  It is about a dysfunctional family in changing times.  I enjoyed the book in that I love characters and this family has diverse marvelous characters, all of whom have some saving graces.  But the inability to get along caused by their character flaws left me feeling somewhat sad...

I have read the next 50 pages of this.  Jonathan Strange has come into the story and Mr. Norrell has agreed to tutor him in magic.  Their feelings about each other vastly differ.

I am now about to start a new Heather Graham Krewe of Hunters book, Haunted Destiny.  It is set on a cruise ship (I have been on a few) leaving out of New Orleans (I have lived near there for a year), both marvelous settings.  These books tend to follow a similar formula, but the mystery changes as well as the setting and these keep me coming back.

Finished THE 6TH EXTINCTION

 

This is, of course addressing the climate crisis.  Some scientists may be going a little (or a lot) overboard in their efforts to curtail it.  As always, I found this tenth Sigma Force novel riveting and thought-provoking.  These guys are like Buffy--they "save the world a lot."

I am now about to start The House of the Spirits on the recommendation of friend Peggy W.

Finished FIRE IN THE SKY

 

This was second book in the The Battle For America series by the archeologist team. The Conquistadors who came to Florida to find gold and other precious things to take back to Spain, not only were brutal, but seemed to believe their job was to wipe out all indigenous people in the area.  Another great book in the People of Early America series.

I am now about to begin the tenth book in James Rollins' Sigma Force novels.  (OMG, have I read 9 of these books?  I love them.)  Another apocalypse is about to begin which can only be solved with a combination of history, science, and military might.  These books are great adventures.  

I challenged myself to read 50 books this year on Goodreads.  Luckily, I've read three pretty short books in a row now, so I had time to read the last book and this one without getting behind.  Oh, Amazon just delivered the first 8 books of the Outlander series  (speaking of long books.)  I have plenty of great reading ahead of me.

Finished TO HAVE AND TO KILL

 

I thought the first book I read in this series was better (it was actually the second book in the series), but the first book often has enough background about the characters that less time is devoted to the plot.  This book did have a pretty good plot and a very good ending.  

I have now started Fire in the Sky, Book 2 of Contact:  The Battle for America.  This is another novel  by the Gears based on archeology.  In book 1, de Soto arrived in Florida and started slaughtering and enslaving the cultures already living there.  Two people came together:  a trader, Black Shell, and his soon to be wife, Pearl Hand.  This pair gather anyone who wants to fight the invaders and begin a guerilla war.

Finished DEAD WATERS

When I finished the first book in this series, I thought it was a little childish, but inventive.  The latter is still true as this series grows on me, but I now know it is merely overloaded with 20-something testosterone.  This was fun to read.  I had to finish it last night before I could sleep--and I was really tired.  So, pretty good book.

 I am now about to start To Have and To Kill,  by Mary Jane Clark.  I believe I have read a later book in this series, so, I'm reading them out of order.  Oh well.  I love this author and am looking forward to the book.

Finished THE CASE OF THE KILLER DIVORCE

 

This mystery was unusual in a couple ways--the ending was different from most, the the lawyer protagonist is less impersonal that most.  I enjoyed the book quite a bit.

I have now started DEAD WATERS by Anton Strout.  Simon Canderous, working as a clairvoyant for The Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs has come up against a woman made of water who can control water and has killed a man by drowning his lungs, while leaving the rest of him dry.  It is Simon's job to arrest her and/ or stop her somehow, but can you imagine trying to arrest or even kill water?

Finished RAFAEL

I had thought this book was going to be only about a character study of Rafael and Anita's relationship with him.  But no, there was some serious action in this also and we met an entirely new supernatural (were) culture.  Very inventive.  I'm sad that I am beginning to catch up with LKH's writing.

I have now begun #2 of Barbara Venkataraman's Jamie Quinn mysteries, The Case of the Killer Divorce.  Working with divorces is emotionally difficult for a lawyer, but when the divorce turns into a murder case and her client is entitled and arrogant, well, it can be murder.

 

Finished THE TWISTED SWORD

As usual, I enjoyed this book immensely.  It seemed more eventful that most of the others, but not always in a good way.  It certainly held my attention and kept me reading into the night.  Looking forward to the next one.

 I have now started Rafael, by Laurell K Hamilton, another Anita Blake book.  I evidently skipped Sucker Punch to get to this one, but in reading the blurb, I figured this is a stand alone book concentrating on Rafael, another complicated character, of course, and skipping a book shouldn't hurt the story for me.  I'll get back there.

Finished HOME WORK

 

Once again, I have enjoyed Julie Andrews' writing style.  In this book she takes us through her life and films from Sound of Music through Victor/ Victoria.  However, in there were a number of films I didn't even know about.  I intend to start looking for them.

I have now started The Twisted Sword by Winston Graham.  It is the 11th book in the Poldark series.  We now find Clowance married to Steven Carrington and Jeremy also married and living in Belgium.  The other three children of Ross and Demelza are living at home.  Ross is asked to go to France to observe the mood as they establish a new government after the defeat of Napoleon.  The whole at home family will go for three months all expenses paid by the British government.  A new adventure begins...

Read 50 more pages of WAR AND PEACE, then finished THE HIDDEN.

 

This book is surprisingly more readable than I thought.  I have to admit I was warned--I should be keeping an annotated list of characters--they are confusing, not just because there are so many of them, but also because almost every character has title, first name, last name, and nicknames.  But, that is just too much work.  That is not the real reason I'm taking it in 50 page sections, though.  The print is really fine and makes me and my eyes tired.

I have also finished The Hidden, by Heather Graham.  Stayed up late last night finishing this.  It varies from Heather Graham's usual formula a little.  My favorite difference is that we get to revisit a number of characters from former novels in the series.  One of the reasons I enjoy these novels is that I get to revisit places I saw on my numerous solo camping trips throughout the country.  I didn't spend long in Estes Park, but I did find a marvelous micro-brewery there at the foot of the Rockies.  I'd never been to such a place before--I went looking for food (which I found) and had 2 or three taster glasses of different brews.  All while surrounded by picture windows looking out on the forest. A delicious experience, as was reading this story.

I am now about to start Home Work, a Memoire of My Hollywood Years, by Julie Andrews

Finished THE PEACEFUL SEASON

 

Nothing much seems to happen in these novels, but they stay readable.  Relationships, weather, money worries, but mostly enjoyment of the animals, her neighbors, family, friends, and the community.

I have now returned for another 50 pages of War and Peace.  They have now had their first skirmish with the French which is described with beautiful accounts of the natural setting, counterbalanced by the mud the army is slogging up, as well as tongue in cheek humor worthy of Mark Twain.

Finished HUMANICIDE

 

He wants to wipe out Humanity, for its own good.  This is the last of the Star Time series, on the Earth.  I absolutely love this author.  Luckily there are still more books he has written.  In this one, I wondered if he had left the YA genre he usually writes in.  But no, I don't think so.  He is just writing for a bright science oriented young adult, and, it seems, also for this 76 year old woman.

I have now started reading The Peaceful Season, by Melanie Lageschulte.  Sweet account of life on a farm in a small town.

Finished EYE OF THE WOLF

 

I love these Wind River Mysteries.  Father O'Malley has received a cryptic and frightening message that leads him to find three bodies at a battle site.  The three happen to be Shoshones who immediately are sure that an Arapaho killed them.  The situation threatens to erupt into war on the reservation.  Good plot and we got to see all of our favorite characters again.

I have now started  Humanicide, the last in Melton's Earth Saga, which goes far into the future.  The moon has been terraformed and two large asteroids have also been pulled into stable Earth orbit and terraformed.  A mysterious doctor has just come to one of them and notices a cough which seems the same an coughs she has noticed on all three satellites. This shouldn't be possible since the populations are isolated from each other.

Finished I'VE GOT MY EYES ON YOU

 

As good as ever.  I did figure out who the culprit was this time, but there weren't many suspects.  Enjoyed it regardless.

I have now just barely begun Eye of the Wolf, another Wind River Mystery.

Finished SWEET AND DEADLY

 

Short quickly read little mystery shows that sometimes wracking your brain for a motive is futile...  Enjoyable, but I love her fantasies much more.

I am now about to start what is one of the last (if not the last) books Mary Higgins Clark wrote.  She will be missed.

Finished MURDER ON A MIDSUMMER NIGHT

 

I am always amazed about how much happens in these short books.  This one was longer than most, but there were 2 mysteries this time and of course we have to check in with all of the growing number of family and friends in Phryne's life.  I enjoy all these colorful characters, as well as the new ones involved in each mystery.

I have now started Sweet and Deadly by Charlaine Harris.  It is one of her mysteries, a genre of her's I've not read before.  I miss the fantasy factor.

Finished PAPER MONEY and two others

 

This was delightful.  Complicated double caper.  Great characters.  Loved the ending....don't give up early.  Lots of characters, but they straightened themselves out as I continued reading.

Reading has been difficult with no right hand, but, as it gradually gets better, I've been able to read more and more.  My typing is better also, but really tiring.

I started Summon the Keeper by Tanya Huff the day after I finished  Paper Money.  I had read her Blood series and her Smoke series.  Then when there didn't appear to be any more books with those characters, I quit, though I have looked in on her site every so often, hoping for more.  But now, as I seem to be running low on Kim Harrison books, I decided to check out some of Tanya's other series.  This was delightful.  Claire has special powers to protect Earth from accidental interfacing with other dimensions.  Now she finds herself in a hotel with a comatose witch and a hellmouth in the basement.  Though the plot proceeded slowly, the lively characters kept the story moving and I very much enjoyed it.

I have now started Murder on a Midsummer Night, another Miss Fisher mystery.  She now finds herself wirh two cases:  the death of a young man ruled suicide by the police and a search for a child a woman, now deceased, may have given birth to 65 years ago.  Both cases look unsolvable. 

Finished AMERICAN LEGENDS: THE LIFE OF JIMMY STEWART

 

As I have said before about this series, the book is just facts.  Lots of pictures...no heart.  OK for reference I suppose....

I have now started Paper Money by Ken Follett.  It starts with an introduction by the author explaining that it was written early in his career and did not receive great reviews then, but he thinks it is one of the best of his unsuccessful books.  I am far enough into it to already be intrigued.