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.